


A Lily among Demons

by Fallingunderground13



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Angst and Feels, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Mystery, Possibly Unrequited Love, Shall We Date?: Obey Me! Spoilers, Slow Burn, haven't decided who MC will end up with, original sub plots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:48:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 169,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27776386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallingunderground13/pseuds/Fallingunderground13
Summary: Lily is an orphan who has lived an isolated life, living on her own for three years before she leaves for College. When her car breaks down she accidentally stumbles into another realm and finds herself forced to stay in the Devildom for one year while she attends RAD. While Lily get's wrapped up in the lives of her seven demon lord roommates, she has her own secrets and mysteries to unravel.
Relationships: Asmodeus & Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Beelzebub & Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Belphegor & Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Leviathan & Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Lucifer & Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Main Character & Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Main Character & Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)
Comments: 198
Kudos: 137





	1. Her Last Day Alone

**Author's Note:**

> This story follow's MC Lily's adventures in the Devildom. This story will follow the game closely, there will be SPOILERS throughout so don't read if you haven't finished all the current lessons out (up to 40 at the time I post this). 
> 
> While I'll be following the game story-line for the most part I will be adding my own sub-plots, explanations, expansions, etc. etc. I plan for this to be a bit more fluffy and "lighter" than my series with MC Ash. 
> 
> I haven't decided WHO this MC will end up in a romantic relationship with yet.

It was a chill autumn day in the Pennsylvania Wilds when Lily pulled her Dad’s old Mazda into the only gas station that existed between her cozy cabin and the nearest town that boasted a population of less than 1700 people. 

Jim, the man who owned and worked the gas station, walked over to her car with a slow stumbling gait caused by a motorcycle accident from his youth, and arthritis, Lily suspected. Jim gave her a warm smile. Lily rolled down her window and smiled back. 

“Hello Jim. A fill, regular please.” her voice was soft, clear and sweet, but not weak. Jim was still smiling but some sadness crept into his eyes. He’d been worried over the girl for the past few years and now she was moving on. He was happy for her, proud even, but it would be lonelier in this quiet part of the world without her smiling face around. 

“It’s been an age since I’ve seen your father Lily.” Jim said, noting the way her smile faltered a bit. “He won’t be able to stay closested in that lab of his with you leaving for college now.” Lily only smiled with a shrug. 

“Well...I’m going to miss seeing your smiling face around here. Don’t be a stranger when you’re passing through here now.” he told her. 

“I’ll miss you too Jim.” she told him with a genuine smile. “I’ll never forget your kindness.” Her words filled him with warmth but at the same time he didn’t like the sound of it...as if he’d never see the girl again. 

The little Mazda was filled and Lily handed Jim cash to pay for her gas but the man gently pushed her hand back through the window. “You keep your money now, things are more expensive in the big city.” he told her, Lily made to insist but Jim shook his head and stepped back. “Just think of it as a going away gift.” 

Lily smiled gratefully. “Thank you Jim.” she told him, as she stuffed the cash back into her envelope. She had lived conservatively, but three years on her own had depleted most of her cash. She was nineteen and about to embark on the next chapter of her life. It had been hard to leave behind the little cabin in the woods. She couldn’t remain and live off of meager hope, she had to live. So as lonely and unsure as she felt, she had to move forward. She glanced in the back seat at the one small suitcase she had packed, she hadn’t owned much. Very little clothing and her most precious belongings were a few family photos. Jim was the closest thing she had to a friend, she had never been able to make friends with others her own age. Her classmates had always pegged her as the weird one. She didn’t resent them for it though. 

Turning the ignition she slowly pulled out of the gas station with one last glance behind her. She had a long drive to Boston, she’d worked hard to get a good scholarship, it was the only thing that was allowing her to go to college in her current position. She knew she’d need to find work right away. Those were worries for another day though, right now she just had to focus on arriving at her next destination. 

Halfway to Boston the little Mazda made a choking noise and stuttered and shook. Lily carefully pulled to the side of the road as her little car gave out. She patted the dash tenderly, “There, there. It’s not your fault, I haven’t taken care of you like I should have. You’ve been a good little car to me, we’ve been through a lot together.” she spoke to the car as if it were a dear friend. 

Sitting back in her seat she considered her options. She was in an isolated and heavily wooded stretch of road, it was getting late. Deciding she would wait until morning to get assistance, she reached for the blanket in the back of the car. Her little car didn’t have working heat as it was and she could already see her breath in the air. She was thankful that she’d invested in a warm winter coat and gloves last year. They would serve her well this evening. 

It was full dark outside when a strange feeling woke Lily. She looked around and saw an eerie yet beautiful glow in the woods. As a girl who always caved to her curiosity, she didn’t stop to consider the possible dangers as she unlocked the car door and got out to investigate. She stretched her cold joints before digging around in her bag for a flashlight and pulling a knit beanie over her hair and then pulling up the faux fur trimmed hood of her coat over that. She carefully stepped into the shallow ditch next to the side of the road before trekking into the dense forest. 

“Hello?” She called not too loudly. Was there someone else out here? If so, their flashlight was very bright. The glow seemed to be moving further and further away as she picked up her pace to follow. Branches scraped at her face and hands as she tried to move them aside, it almost felt as if the forest was purposely trying to get in her way, even though the thought was silly. “Is anyone there?” she called one more time. “Do you need help?” 

There was no answer and eventually the light vanished from her sight. The woods around her had become dense with fog and she felt her sense of direction become challenged as she turned to make her way back to her car. “Hmm, just follow your footsteps back Lily. The ground was soft and sure enough when she flashed her light on the ground she found her prints. She hadn’t walked far when her flashlight went out, leaving her alone in the dark. 

“Damn.” she breathed and counted the beads on the bracelet on her left wrist to calm herself. Utter darkness had always unnerved her, she always felt as if the dark was a living entity that could see and touch her. The thick woods and fog shrouded the stars and moonlight leaving Lily feeling alone. 

Taking a deep breath she did her best to walk in a straight line but after several minutes of walking she did not find her car or the road. In fact, the woods seemed to be closing in on her while the fog enveloped her. Her foot sank a few inches down into muck with her next step and she realized she’d wandered into some sort of wetland area. “What bad luck.” she sighed as she continued to fidget with her bracelet. Lily was fairly superstitious and suddenly she was feeling like maybe she had been too rash to leave her little cabin, maybe she wasn’t meant to be on the path to college. 

Trying to turn around to get out of the wet mud, Lily only found herself sinking in further. Why couldn’t she find the dry land? She’d only taken one step in. This didn’t make any sense to her. Her senses seemed to sharpen in the dark and the relative quiet of the woods had become noisier. Strange and unfamiliar noises filled the air. Chirping, a triling of strange sounding bugs and something that sounded suspiciously like a snake hissing gave her pause, but she couldn’t stay still standing in the muck all night! Lily, who rarely ever felt afraid was suddenly feeling very panicked by her situation but before it could get the better of her a bright light enveloped her. 

  
  


**Elsewhere…**

  
  


“Is there a problem?” The prince looked at his steward. The steward looked frustrated. 

“I apologize, my Lord.” The steward responded. “According to the timeline she should have been where I calculated….”

“Hmm. Well it is the first time we’ve ever tried to pull a mortal into the Devildom without their will.” the Prince mused. “There’s bound to be complications.”

The steward didn’t look satisfied with that. “I shall try again, my Lord.” 

The room was quiet all except a low rumbling noise that could be heard now and again. The steward finally opened his eyes looking quite perplexed. “She’s not where she should have been, that's why the summoning spell didn’t work.” the steward explained. Someone in the room sighed. “Maybe this isn’t the best idea?” they questioned. “This individual already seems to be causing us problems and they haven’t even arrived yet.”

The Prince only laughed. “We can’t give up now.” The steward nodded, “I shall try to locate her.” Agan the room was silent until the steward opened his eyes in alarm. 

“What is it?” The Prince asked. “This is most unusual.” the steward replied. “It was difficult to get a fix on her at first, because she seems to be in a state of flux...but I finally found her…”

“Well? Where is she then?” One of the others in the room asked. 

“She’s in the Devildom.” The steward replied. “In the marsh outside the city to be exact.” 

“Ooh she’ll be eaten for sure.” someone said. 

“I’m hungry.” another said. 

“Well let’s summon her again before something happens to her then.” The Prince ordered. “As you wish.” the steward replied and began the summoning spell anew.


	2. The Royal Academy of Diavolo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to RAD

Lily stumbled as she finished the step she had been taking in the woods and barely kept her balance when her foot jarred against a solid floor instead of the wet muck she had wandered through. Blinking, she looked around, eyes wide as she took in her new surroundings with a mixture of awe and confusion. The first thing Lily noticed was that she appeared to be in some sort of unfamiliar room that reminded her of a courtroom with the raised chairs that ran along the wall in front of her. There were strange banners hung from the ceiling, she couldn’t understand where she was or how she got here. The last thing she remembered was that light...had she been knocked unconscious in the woods and brought here? Had she been kidnapped?

*sigh* “We just had the floors cleaned and waxed too..”

The voice caught her attention and she didn’t realize how she could miss the five strange men sitting in five of eight chairs. almost losing her balance again, she realized that her shoes and jeans halfway to her knees were covered and spattered in mud. 

“I’ll take care of it.” someone else said and Lily heard a snap and suddenly her clothing, shoes and the floor were clean of muck. Her eyes widened once more and then she smiled. A dream...she giggled aloud and relaxed a little. She was still asleep in the car, the events of the day had triggered this bizarre dream. 

“Why is it laughing?” one voice said. 

“Shhh!” another said. 

Lily smiled at the strange set of men before her now. They all had severe or bored expressions, all except one anyway. She’d had some odd dreams before but she’d never dreamed up such strange men as these before. She blushed at how beautifully handsome they all were. She’d never had a boyfriend much less entertained romantic thoughts so she found it strange that such beautiful men would appear in her dream, she filed that away for later. 

The men were all sitting but she imagined they would be quite tall if they stood and their proportions seemed a bit off to her. They were a bit otherworldly, she decided after taking in their appearance and piercing gazes. 

“Hello?” she said, wondering if these figments of her dream would speak to her, and if they did, what sort of dream gibberish would they say? The whole scene was reminding her of wonderland, she certainly felt like she’d fallen down some rabbit hole but instead of a Queen of Hearts there was a handsome man dressed in a red jacket.

The man in red, sitting in what looked like the chief judge’s seat finally spoke to her with a smile. 

“Welcome Lily, as a human it will take you awhile to get used to the Devildom…” Lily cocked her head to the side as she listened to the man in red speak for the first time. “...ah but I suppose we should introduce ourselves first.”

“Typically introductions should be done first, but since this is a dream I suppose one could expect the unexpected.” Lily replied more to herself than anyone else.

The man in red let out a hearty laugh. “What a delightfully human thing to say. Outstanding. I have a feeling you might be just the sort of person we’re looking for.”

Lily only smiled and wondered what the man in red might say next. The man with black hair didn’t look half as amused as the man in red. 

“I am Lord Diavolo. I am the ruler of all demons and all here know of me. And someday soon I will be crowned King of the Devildom.” the man in red says. Lily blinks. Demons? This dream was strange indeed. 

“We’re in the assembly hall, the very heart of RAD where the officers of the Student Council have their meetings and conduct business. I am the President of the Student Council.” the man in red finishes. Student Council? This is a school then? Lily wonders silently. Well she was on her way to start College, she was nervous after spending so much time in isolation, so it was only natural that she was having a dream such as this. She decides to play along to see where this dream will go. 

“Why am I here?” she asks. 

The man with black hair speaks up now. “I will explain everything to you.”

The man in red, who calls himself Diavolo speaks again. “Lily, this is Lucifer, he is a demon and the Avatar of Pride. He is also the vice president of the student council and my right hand man, not only in title, I assure you. Beyond that, he’s my most trusted friend.”

Lucifer frowns and says, “Flattery will get you nowhere Diavolo.”

Lily giggled but fell silent at the severe frown Lucifer turned her way. Lily straightens up and says to Lucifer, “Well..are you going to answer my question or not?”

Lucifer looks surprised and looks at Lord Diavolo. “....Interesting. This one is quite different from Solomon.” Lily doesn’t know what that means, but she shrugs, it’s a dream after all and most dreams don’t make much sense. 

“Diavolo believes that we demons should start strengthening our relationship with both the human world and the Celestial Realm. As the first step towards this goal we’ve decided to institute an exchange program. We’ve sent two of our students to the human realm and two to the Celestial Realm. And we’re welcoming four students ourselves, two from your world and two from the Celestial Realm. So I take it you’ve probably put two and two together at this point, right? Your period to stay is one year. After one year you’ll write a paper about your exchange here in the Devildom.” Lucifer finally finishes his explanation. Lily blinks a few times, that was quite detailed for a dream. I hope I remember some of this when I wake up, she thinks to herself. Then she realizes they are waiting for her to say something.

Lily giggles again. “Well that sounds interesting but I’m sure I’ll wake up before then.”

The man in red, Lord Diavolo, frowns. “Well, you’re certainly free to believe that if you’d like. However, I should probably go ahead and make one thing clear now. This is not the sort of dream you’ll be able to wake yourself from.”

Suddenly something shifts inside and Lily doesn’t believe she’s dreaming anymore. Could this all be true? She’d always loved the idea of other worlds, hidden just beyond her reach. She never thought they were alone in this universe. But demons? The Devildom? That’s not what she had imagined, this was nothing like walking into a wardrobe and ending up in a magical land. She regarded the men again...or demons? Not men at all. Weren’t demons evil? That’s what her father always said. She didn’t sense any ill intent from them. They did technically kidnap her though. She frowned in thought. 

“Now don’t look at me like that. It’s not like I will abandon you here all by yourself here in the Devildom. You need someone to look after you and I think that someone should be my brother Mammon. He’s the Avatar of Greed and ...how shall I put it? Hmmm.. Oh well, you’ll understand soon enough.” Lucifer said as he beckoned me to approach them. 

Lily cautiously moved towards Lucifer and was surprised when he handed her a phone. “We call this a D.D.D. it’s very similar to your human world cell phones. Try calling Mammon, I’ve already put his info in there.” Lucifer tells her.

Stumbling with the phone at first, Lily theoretically knows how they work but she’s never owned on herself. Her father had seen no need for her to have one and once she was on her own, she didn’t want to waste the money, even if she had, who would she have called? Finally, she figured out how to make the call. The one named Mammon was loud and their conversation was very short, he sounded quite offended when she told him what Lucifer requested. 

Lucifer laughs. “You look even more worried now, huh.”

Lord Diavolo looks a little concerned as he says, “Well, if you were suddenly brought to a strange place and then got told an unfamiliar face would take care of you, you’d certainly feel anxious. However, Mammon isn’t the only one to help you out... Now then, we still need to introduce our new friend to your brothers, Lucifer. And it’s probably better if you do that than me, wouldn’t you say?”

Lucifer sighs again, he seems to do that a lot. “Yes...as much as I dread the idea of doing so..you are right.”

The prettiest of the demons seated before Lily frowns, “Oh come now. Really? You should be honored that you get to introduce such a sweet and charming little brother like me!”

Lucifer grimaces and says, “This one here is Asmodeus, He is the fifth oldest. He is the Avatar of Lust.” 

The pretty one, called Asmodeus looks deeply offended, “Wh...I can’t believe you totally ignored what I said! And not only that, you referred to me as this one, how rude!”

The one with bright blond hair and shining green eyes doesn’t look amused either as he sighs. “Hmph. At least he didn’t ignore you altogether. How do you think I feel?”

Lucifer rolls his eyes, “That one there is Satan, the fourth eldest of us. At first glance he may seem like a responsible demon with a good head on his shoulders, but looks can be deceiving.” 

Satan? Lucifer? Lily thought those were supposed to be the same demon, these names make her feel a bit anxious. “Aha, so I’m that one, am I? Nice to meet you, Lily. I am Satan, the Avatar of Wrath” the demon has a smile on his face but Lily can’t help to think it’s only a mask. 

“The Avatar of Lust?” Lily wondered aloud, lust..wrath...she thinks back to the papers she found once in her father’s lab. The seven deadly sins. Her father was researching heaven and hell before he disappeared. Part of Lily wanted to blurt this all out, but these were demons, she knew she should probably keep her secrets close for now. 

Asmodeus giggles “That’s right! That pretty much sums up what I’m about! Including my power. Let’s give a little demonstration! Lily could you gaze into my eyes for a moment? It’s okay, I won't hurt you. Come on, don’t be shy.” he coaxed her. 

Lily didn’t trust him one bit but found herself looking into his gorgeous and unusual pink and orange eyes that reminded her of the sun setting. 

“Yes. Great! That’s perfect.” Now keep your eyes fixed on mine, just like that. ...wait a minute..there’s something about you...hmm…” Asmo frowned. 

Satan spoke up next. “I should warn you Lily. You’d best be wary of Asmodeus’s gaze. He can charm and manipulate people and use them to his own advantage. If you’re not careful, he’ll charm you. And once you’re under his spell, he’ll eat you…” Satan grinned.

Lily took a few wary steps back. 

With a pouting face, Asmodeus whines, “Hey, don’t go around saying things like that….Hmm regardless, my power doesn’t seem to work for some reason this time, I wonder why? Lucifer, are you sure there is a soul inside this body?”

Lucifer smirks, “Yes. Assuming Beel hasn’t devoured it already, that is.”

The man, or demon who had only been frowning, not saying anything finally spoke. “Nope. I haven’t eaten any souls...yet.”

Lily took a few more steps backwards and looked at Satan, “You’re the Avatar of Wrath?”

Lucifer frowns, “That pretty much sums up what he’s about. He may flash you a pretty smile like that, but you had better be careful because it is all an act.”

Satan sends Lucifer a challenging look, “If you continue saying such nonsense, you’ll just scare Lily. Don’t take him too seriously, Lily.” Lily took one more step back when a strange aura began pulsing from the Avatar of Wrath. “Lucifer enjoys speaking ill of his brothers. He is the Avatar of Pride, after all.”

Lucifer rolls his eyes with a sigh, “Are you done?” When Satan has nothing more to say, Lucifer continues. “Now the one there with the very grumpy look on his face is Beelzebub. He is the sixth oldest.”

The one named Beelzebub says, “Lucifer, I’m hungry.” the rumbling of his stomach follows his statement and then Lily finally realizes what that rumbling noise she’d been hearing all this time was.

Lucifer frowns, “That’s too bad. Now behave yourself.”

The demon with bright orange hair looks at Lily unhappily, “I’m Beelzebub, the Avatar of Gluttony.” Well that would explain that, Lily thinks to herself. 

Lucifer looks back to the girl, his expression still very serious, “So...There are seven of us brothers in all, and I am the eldest. Mammon, the second oldest of us, will be here soon. My other brothers aren’t here at the moment, but...well, we can get to them later. All in good time.”

Diavolo speaks up again, “During your stay in the Devildom, the seven brothers will lend you their strength. To keep you safe, you are to stay with them at the House of Lamentation.” I’m supposed to trust demons to keep me safe? Lily thinks to herself. 

Lucifer seems to read her thoughts as he says. “Most agree with Diavolo, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t vulgar demons out there who wouldn’t harm you. If anything were to happen to you, it would be our responsibility. And I won’t betray Diavolo’s expectations. So, I will do everything in my power to make sure you survive your stay down here in the Devildom. Although we will all be living together, you should still have the means to reach us at any given time. My number is already in there. And your DDD also has a messaging app. Make sure to add all of us.”

Diavolo smiles happily, “I’ll go ahead and send you a message!” he says as he pulls out his own phone. 

Satan smiles, “Isn’t that nice, Lily. Now you will be friends with the future king of the Devildom!” I return the Avatar of Wrath’s smile but I can’t help but think he’s being sarcastic. 

“I have to live with you?” she asked, feeling nervous. She’d only ever lived with her father before. Wasn’t it inappropriate for a girl to live with so many men? Well I guess they were demons, no, didn’t that only make it worse? Lily thought to herself. 

Lucifer nodded, “Yes, in the House of Lamentation, where I live with my brothers. It is a rather spacious house, and it was originally a cursed house in the human world. So, I assume it won’t be a problem for you - a human - to live there.” he explained. 

Was he serious? Lily thought to herself, humans don’t typically like to live in a place that is cursed or haunted. I hope the ghosts are nice….she thought to herself. 

A door opened loudly and slammed shut behind Lily. Lucifer sighed. “It seems the idiot has arrived.”

Lily turned to see another man, err..demon walk into the assembly hall. He was very tall, dark and just as handsome as the other. His white hair and blue eyes contrasted beautifully against his deeply tanned skin. Why were all these demons beautiful? Probably so they can seduce us humans, Lily thought to herself. 

The white haired one marched up to her looking annoyed, “HEY! Just who do you think you are, human? You’ve got a lotta nerve summoning the Great Mammon! Listen up, because I’m only gonna say this once. If you value your life, then you’ll hand over all of your money now! And anything else of value, too! Otherwise I’ll wipe that stupid, happy-go-lucky look right off of your face...by eatin’ you! Startin’ at your head and working my way down, until --

Lily jumped when Lucifer was suddenly standing beside her “Mammon, shut up or I’ll punch you!”

“GAH, OWW! Hey, what’s the big idea?! I thought you were actually gonna give me a chance to shut up before punching me!” Mammon complained after being hit by Lucifer, Lily edged away from the violent demons.

Satan, who was suddenly behind Lily placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her backwards movement. “Lily, Mammon here is the Avatar of Greed. He governs and oversees all forms of it. Whenever he takes a liking to someone, they suddenly find themselves awash in money. But from what I hear, if he decides to break it off with someone, that wealth evaporates. They’re left without a Grimm to their name.”

Asmodeus, standing next to Lily said, “And he’s also a masochist. That part’s important.”

Lucifer smiled a smile that gave Lily goosebumps, “Indeed, And it just so happens that I have a job for my masochist of a brother.”

Mammon began yelling, “Y’all stop telling lies! I ain’t asked for that punch, and I AIN’T a masochist!”

Lucifer glared at the white haired one, “Mammon, you are going to be in charge of seeing to this human’s needs during the whole exchange. I expect your full cooperation.”

“What?! Why me?!” Mammon complained, looking shocked and annoyed. Lily was trying not to giggle, this one didn’t seem very polite but he was entertaining to watch. 

Asmodeus pouted, “ Aww lucky you, Mammon! I’m so jealous…”

Mammon looked hopeful, “All right, then why don’t YOU do it, Asmodeus?!”

Asmodeus looked shocked, “What? Hell no, too lazy.”

Mammon growled, “I thought you said you were jealous of me?!”

Satan shook his head, his hand finally left Lily’s shoulder and she let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Just give up, Mammon. There’s no getting out of this. You know you can’t refuse a direct command from Lucifer, correct?”

Mammon frowned, “But why does it have to be me?! What about Beel? Why can’t he do it?!”

Asmodeus gave his brother an incredulous look, “This isn’t a job we can entrust to Beel. We might as well ask him to eat this human.” 

Beelzebub nodded in agreement, “Mm, yeah. I can’t promise I wouldn't.”

Lily tried to put more distance between herself and the Avatar of Gluttony, she didn’t like the way these demons kept referring to her as something edible. 

Mammon sighed, “You’re useless, you know that?!”

Lucifer glared, “...Mammon?

Mammon suddenly looked nervous, “...Wh-What?

Lucifer suddenly had a dark aura around him as he spoke, “Surely you’re not going to tell me that you object to this arrangement, are you?”

Mammon’s eyebrows rose and he straightened up, “ ...ugh...I hate you guys! Every last one of ya! Fine...FINE! I’ll do it, okay?! All right, human, listen up. As much as I don’t want to look after you, I’ve got no choice. It's a huge pain in the ass, and I’m too important for this kind of thing, But Lucifer told me to do it, so I will. But in return, you better make sure you don’t cause me any trouble, got it?!”

Lily only blinked at Mammon with wide eyes. Mammon looked annoyed as he threw up his hands, “Hello? Earth to human! Seriously, what’s wrong with this one…?”

Lucifer ignored Mammon and continued, “We have decided who will take care of you, so on to the next subject, your tasks.”

Lily turned her attention back to Lucifer and Mammon growled, displeased at being totally ignored. “What sort of tasks? Will there be tests?” Lily wondered aloud. 

Lucifer smiled, “Good question. Your task is to polish up your soul nicely and to acquire the power to resist demons.”

This wasn’t the answer Lily expected, she was confused. “You want me to resist?” she asked, to her, it seemed like all they demanded from her so far was her unyielding cooperation. 

Lucifer gave her a patronizing smile and set to explaining, “Demons like humans with nice souls. Let me put it another way. Nice souls look like shiny jewels. Do you understand now? Demons will use their wisdom and abilities to tempt the humans so they can get their hands on their souls. Other demons at RAD also have tasks assigned to them just like you. In other words, either humans will be tempted by demons, or demons will lose against the shiny and noble soul of a human and make a run for it. You could say it is an experiment to find out who will win.”

An experiment? Lily didn’t think she liked the idea of being a lab rat to these demons. It didn’t seem to her that she’d have much choice in the matter though, they made it pretty clear she was stuck here for the year. This wasn’t the college experience she was expecting but maybe this was fate. Maybe she would find the answers she’d been searching for all along. 

Lucifer concluded, “With that my explanation has come to a close. But to sum it up for you. You will be an exchange student here at RAD for one year and you must do your tasks.”

Mammon scoffed and folded his arms, “I wanna make one thing clear, right now. Don’t blame me if someone gets eaten, cause it ain’t my fault.”

Beelzebub’s stomach growled again loudly as he complained. “Lucier, I’m hungry.”

Lucifer frowned at his orange haired brother, “That’s too bad. Now, behave yourself.”

Lily thought that Avatar of Gluttony was looking pretty pitiful when she remembered she had a candybar in her coat pocket. Lily offered the candybar to the demon who snatched it out of her hand unceremoniously and devoured it in one bite, not even thanking her for sacrificing perhaps the only human world candy bar she’d ever see again. 

Lucifer frowned and Asmodeus and Satan shook their heads and looked at Lily as if she were an idiot. Lily didn’t know what the big deal was, but maybe it was like how you weren’t supposed to feed wild animals….if that was the case maybe they should hang a sign around the demon’s neck…Don’t feed the Glutton. 

Diavolo spoke again, “Lily, from now on you will be living in the House of Lamentation You’ll be staying there with Lucifer and his six younger brothers. Humans, Angels, Demons, I imagine a universe where each accepts the other. Where we are brought together as friends. This is my dream, and I’m asking you to be the foundation for it. One year, that’s what I ask of you. Good Luck Lily.” he smiled, his eyes shining. 

Lily thought that was a strange dream for a demon to have but it sounded lovely in theory, was he sincere or was this just some sort of trick? Weren’t demons supposed to be seducers, manipulators and tricksters? Since Lily was always the sort to just go with the flow she shrugged and smiled in her happy-go-lucky way. 

“Well I suppose we should make it a year to remember then?” she offered.

Diavolo looked very pleased by this while the other demons looked shocked. “You...sure are a positive one. Welp, I won’t stop ya from havin’ some fun.” The one called Mammon said with a bit of a smile. 

“Mammon, take Lily to the house, the rest of us have some work to finish.” Lucifer ordered. Mammon huffed and grabbed a hold of her coat sleeve and pulled her after him. “Come on human, don’t slow me down.” Mammon ignored the odd yet fleeting sensation that traveled through his body as he yanked the human behind him. Something familiar like dejavu….


	3. The House of Lamentation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stepping foot for the first time in the House of Lamentation, Lily barely has time to catch her breath before becoming entangled in the daily problems of the demons she's supposed to live with.

Mammon had dragged Lily so quickly through the Academy that she had no time to take in her surroundings properly. He finally released his hold on her coat sleeve once they were outside on a path that she assumed would lead them to the House. They passed by other impressive looking buildings and houses on the way. 

Mammon was the first to break the silence, “Ugh, I don’t believe this, Of all the rotten luck...Why should I have to look after some human? It’s insulting, that's what it is! That rotten bastard..Does he really think he can scare me into doin’ whatever he wants? Just so we’re clear...It’s not like I can’t say no to Lucifer, okay?! I only agreed to babysit you because, um...well you know, because...uh..Anyway, it doesn’t matter! Just don’t go thinking that I’m scared of Lucifer or anything! Because I’m not!”

Lily had been staring at Mammon through his tirade and now she shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, it’s not really any of my business anyway is it? I don’t really care.” she told him honestly.

Mammon looked shocked at her response. “WHAT?! Oh, now you’re REALLY in for it!...Although, come to think of it, I’m surprised you’ve got the guts to talk to me like that. You’re not scared? I mean, I’m a demon. You do get that, right?...Hmph, You’re one strange human, I’ll give ya that.” he said begrudgingly. 

Lily only looked at him for a moment more before sweeping her gaze around, taking in more of her surroundings. Mammon growled, he hated being ignored. Who did this human think she was?

In a huff he grabbed her coat sleeve again and dragged her the rest of the way, not releasing her until they were on the porch of the House of Lamentation. Lily looked at the house with big apprehensive eyes. It was so big, she’d never lived in such a place before. She was used to her cozy little cabin in the woods. 

Mammon opened the door and pushed her inside. “This is the House of Lamentation. It’s one of the dorms here at RAD. Well it’s not just one of the dorms, it’s the dorm reserved for the student council members. Lucifer, Asmo, and the others take every chance they can get to insult me. Callin’ me scum, sayin’ that I’m a money grubber and stuff...but I’m an officer on the student council same as them. The elite of the elite, the top of the RAD social pyramid. In other words. I’m a big shot. A REAL big shot. Like, even regular big shots are impressed by what a big shot I am. So don’t you go thinking that I’m just some ordinary demon. I’m nothing like those other peons walking the halls here. By the way, Diavolo is even MORE of a big shot. He’s so important that he’s got his own castle. That’s why he doesn’t live here with us. ...Anyway, the long and short of it is that us seven brothers all live here together. Now it’s time I show you to your room...Hey don’t just stand there with your jaw open, Hurry up, or I’m gonna leave ya behind. If there’s something you wanna ask me, you’d best do it now.”

Mammon was annoyed again when the girl didn’t say anything, just blinking up at him with those wide beautifully strange eyes of hers. Wait, what? What was he thinking? He shook his head.  Mammon folded his arms in a huff, “I’m gonna give you a piece of advice, so listen up. If you wanna survive even a day here in the Devildom, you’d better listen REAL close to what I’m about to say. IF it ever looks like a demon is about to attack you...run away, Either that, or die.” 

Lily’s eyes widened further if that was even possible and she nodded, that seemed like sound advice if not a bit harsh. She jumped when another demon appeared out of nowhere looking angry. This one was the most unusual she’d seen so far, with his violet hair and orange amber eyes that almost seemed to glow. 

“How about this? I vote for YOU to die, Mammon.” the newcomer said aggressively. Was this an instance where I should run? Lily thought to herself as it almost seemed to her that Mammon was ready to bolt from the room himself. 

Mammon spoke nervously when he introduced the new demon, “...uh l-listen up, human! This here is Leviathan, the Avatar of Envy. He’s the third oldest of us brothers. Since his name’s sorta hard to say, you can just call him Levi! Okay then, let’s move on.” Mammon tried to leave but Levi blocked our way. 

The one named Leviathan growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. “Mammon, give me back my money. Then go crawl in a hole and die.” Wow, these demons were really mean to each other, Lily though to herself, were they not brothers? They were demons though so she supposed she couldn’t hold them to her own standards. 

Mammon scoffed impatiently. “Come on, I told you I’d get it to you! I just need a little more time….And you still want me to die even after I give it back? That’s real harsh Levi!” Lily couldn’t help but agree with the last part. 

Levi rolled his eyes, “You need a little more time? How much more?”

Mammon’s voice rose an octave,“ A little more, okay?! A little more means a little more!”

Levi growled, “You’ve been telling me that for the last 200 years, Mammon.”

Mammon shrugged, “Hey, no! It hasn’t been 200 years! It’s bee 260! Get it right, Levi!” I raised an eyebrow, this Mammon wasn’t making a good case for himself. 

Levi scoffed, “Unbelievable. Seriously Mammon, you’re--”

But Mammon interrupted him, “I’m what? Scum? Is that what you’re gonna say?”

Levi’s eyes flashed, “You’re a lowlife and a waste of space.” 

Mammon frowned, “Hey! Come on, that’s even worse!”

Levi rolled his eyes again, “Whatever...Just give me back my money. I need it to buy the Blu-ray box set of Journey to the Devildom” The Tale of a Little She-Devil and Her Reluctant Companion. The initial round of copies includes promotional tickets to a live event as a special bonus.” Lily’s eyebrows rose in confusion, that was the last thing she expected this angry demon to say. Was he some sort of demon nerd? Lily wondered. 

Mammon sighed with exasperation, “I’ve got no idea what you’re even talking about, Levi, but it doesn’t matter! Because I don’t even have any money to give you. How am I supposed to give back money I don’t have, huh?!”

Levi growled, “So then, you’re telling me you refuse to pay me back?”

Mammon raised his voice again, “....what? You looking for a fight, is that it?”

Lily pressed herself against the wall with nowhere else to go, she really hoped these demons didn’t start brawling in front of her. She’d never seen anyone fight before, it seemed scary but also a little exciting if she was being honest with herself. 

“Mammon if you owe him money you should pay him back...but um, maybe you could give him some more time Levi?” Lily interjected, hoping these demons wouldn’t fight. 

The two demons looked at her as if they had forgotten she was there. 

Levi frowned at the human, “What’s the deal with this human you’ve got here with you? Are they your newest sponsor or something?”

Mammon glared at Levi, looking disgusted, “Wha...no! I’d need someone rich enough to support me. Don’t be crazy. Though now that I think about it...Levi, I’m pretty sure this one likes to collect the same stuff that you do. I bet you’d kill to have some of the stuff in Lily’s collection. You know what I’m talking about...those doll things you always buy. What do you call ‘em again?”

“Figurines.” Levi replied dryly. 

Mammon grinned suspiciously, “Yeah, those!” Lily didn’t know what Mammon was doing, they had not talked about herself at all since she arrived. 

Levi’s angry expression suddenly turned into a smile as he moved close to her, “So, you also collect figurines? Which ones? Ooh, do you have any of the main characters from Battle Princess Brigade? Or Girls Only, or Diamond Dust?” 

Lily looked at this strange demon with wide eyes, she had no idea what he was talking about. 

“No sorry, are those books? I didn’t grow up with a Television, I don’t know much about such things…” she said apologetically. 

Levi looked surprised. “Y-you’ve never watched TV?! --wh...dammit, Mammon! That ass..he ran off…!” Levi backed off from Lily, looking angry again.  “Do you realize what just happened? Mammon used you as a distraction to get away from me….or maybe I should say he used you as a sacrifice. I’ll admit that Mammon is one of the scummiest scumbags you’ll ever meet...a total lowlife. But still, that was pretty dumb of you letting him use you like that. *sigh* This is EXACTLY why humans are...Wait a second. Humans...yes, that’s it...Suddenly, I’ve got an idea. Listen, are you free right now? Of course you are… You’ve gotta be, right? You know what? Never mind, Either way, you’re coming with me.”

Lily could barely keep up with Leviathan’s train of thought and once again she was being dragged by the sleeve of her coat as the demon pulled her up a set of stairs. He stopped outside a door and looked around, as if making sure no one was around before he pulled her inside and locked the door. Lily stumbled over a drink can that had been left on the floor, as she looked around the strange room. 

“Watch it!” Levi grumbled and scooped up a magazine from the floor before she stepped on that too. Lily ignored him as she looked around the room in wonder. There was a huge aquarium, jellyfish lights hung from the wall, there was a large bookshelf full of books but mostly magazines and mangas. There was a large computer station and a huge TV, another shelf was full of DVDs. There was a bathtub that looked like it was supposed to be a bed. 

“You really like water don’t you.” she said in awe of the aquatic theme. Levi rolled his eyes. “Of course I do….I am Leviathan.” he said, enunciating his name slowly. Lily’s eyes widened with understanding as she nodded. 

“I like it.” she smiled at him. Levi grinned back, forgetting himself for a moment before he scowled again.

“I don’t really care, your opinions don’t mean anything to me.” he retorted. 

Lily shrugged, these demons were really sensitive she thought to herself. “So...why did you drag me in here like that?” she questioned him. 

Levi blushed and looked annoyed, “...What’s that now? You want to know why I looked around to see if anyone was watching before I closed the door? Why do you THINK I did it? Isn’t it obvious? Imagine what would happen if someone saw me inviting you into my room! A human who doesn’t even look like an otaku but a normie! You know what people would say, right?!”

Lily just stared at him blankly; she didn’t know what an Otaku or a Normie were. 

“So..you’re worried about what others would think?” she asked. 

Levi misunderstood her question and stammered. “Of...of c-c-c-...of c-c- course not! Th...th-that’s crazy! There’s room in my heart for only one person, and she’s animated! I’ll always stay faithful to my dear, sweet Ruri-chan, always! Why would people talk?! I mean, me and some non-otaku - some normie?! And not only that, a THREE-DIMENSONAL one from the real world?! It’s Insane, that’s what it is!”

Lily didn’t really understand him, so she just shrugged and looked around his room again, drawn to the bookshelf. A set of large volumes caught her attention. 

Levi saw what Lily was looking at and tried to keep the excitement from his voice when he asked, “What is it, human? What’re you looking at? Wait, that looks like...The Tale of the Seven Lords. Are you a fan of that, too?”

Lily looked back at Leviathan, “No, I’ve never read this. The bindings are beautiful though.”

Leviathan looked taken aback. “...Excuse me? You don’t know TSL? And you call yourself a human?! Just how clueless ARE you?! How could you not know?! Just the fact that you don’t know TSL alone is proof that you’ve been wasting your life! So, I’m going to do you a favor and teach you about TSL. Make sure you pay attention!”

Lily turned and gave Levi her full attention. She loved books, it was one of the few things she had to do back home to keep her mind occupied, drifting off to far off lands and adventures in the form of a good story. 

“The Tale of the Seven Lords, otherwise known as TSL. Is a series of fantasy novels written by Christopher Peugeot. It’s a heroic epic spanning 138 volumes, and it’s the most widely-read fantasy series in the world. There are even theatrical versions, an animated series and feature films, too. And it’s been translated into a total of 182 different languages. The 1990’s theatrical version was an utter disaster, owing to the fact that they added several characters that were NOT present in the original manuscript. At the time I was like, This producer totally needs to crawl in a hole and die! But then the 2015 version came out, and it was AMAZING! Better than amazing! If you ask me, it showed that needlessly cramming a female lead in there alongside Henry was a bad idea. That’s not what he needs. What he NEEDS is a friend who really understands him, and the 2015 version proved that. Also, the most vital element of the story is that each of the seven lords is so unique. They’re all so interesting in their own peculiar way. That’s what makes TSL so great!”

**….almost 1 hour later….**

“Wow..I mean, they’re such good friends you can almost feel it! It’s enough to make you cry! Oh and then there’s that one really awesome moment when the two of them realize they both like and respect each other, and they high-five! I just LOVE that part, you know? I wish I could have a moment like that. ...I wish I could be like the third lord. I may be a recluse like him, but we’re totally different, because he’s got an amazing friend like Henry. Check it out. See that goldfish in the fish tank there? He’s actually named Henry, I love TSL so much that I couldn’t help naming him after the main character. But I can’t really high-five a goldfish can I? The original author of TSL, Christopher Peugeot, he’s actually a human, you know? That’s why I’m so jealous of you guys. Humans are so lucky. You’ve got subscription services that let you watch your favorite anime anytime, you can go to akihabara whenever you want...why do only you guys get to experience all the good stuff? I mean, humans who concept of pleasure originally come from us demons, you know? We gave it to you. So, why can’t we have a little of that back now, huh? I mean, I want to be able to go to a Japanese maid cafe, too. I want to hear the maids welcome me as if I’m the master of the house, to have them draw ketchup hearts on my friend rice omelette, to experience the magic of it all. I want to cosplay as Henry, and then go stand in the center of Akihabara or maybe under that one building in Tokyo that’s shaped like upside down triangles. And once I’m there, I want to perform Henry’s super powerful signature finishing move for all to see and say the Incantation that goes with it. I want to shout it at the top of my lungs! Actually you know what? I want to BE Henry!”

Lily blinked a few times as Leviathan finally finished his monologue. “Hmmm. I don’t know. I think it’s best to just be yourself.” Lily responded with a shrug. 

“Y-you r-really think so?” Levi stammered but then he frowned. “Well what does a normie like you know anyway? I’m free to fantasize about whatever I want, aren’t I?!? *huff*...*wheeze* Guess I’ve done a little too much talking. My throat hurts.” 

Lily felt that Levi must have been very lonely, that was something she could relate to. She patted his back forgetting for a moment that he was a demon and she was locked in his room against her will. 

Leviathan jumped back at her touch, startling her. Suddenly he looked dangerous again, like a snake poised to strike. “N-n-no touchy!” he yelped and then suddenly he didn’t seem very dangerous at all with that reaction. 

“Sorry..” Lily said, giving him a small smile. 

Levi sighed and turned around, hiding the blush from his face as he put the magazine he’d picked earlier back in its place on a shelf. “....All right, enough. This is starting to depress me. Anyway, I didn’t bring you here to tell you about TSL. I don’t think there’s any harm in ust coming out and saying what you already know is true. Mammon is a complete and utter scumbag. It’s very important that you understand this, So I'll say it one more time. Mammon is a Hopeless. Worthless. Scumbag. I lent that scumbag money, and now I want him to pay me back. But being the scumbag that he is. He won't do it. I wish I could force him to, but despite what a rotten waste of space he is, Mammon’s still the second oldest. As the third oldest, no matter how hard I try. I don’t stand a chance against him. You say you want to know how Mammon and I first become enemies? Well, it’s a long story, but sure. I’ll tell you, human.”  Lily hadn’t asked but she just let him go on with his story anyway, she had a strong feeling that he didn’t have anyone to talk to or maybe that no one ever really listened to him. 

“Once a long time ago, Mammon won a prize in a convenience store promotional campaign. And the prize Mammon won was a Seraphina figurine. Something I would’ve died to have. But, despite that fact that Mammon had no interest in it at all, he refused to give it to me. Why, you ask? Because I wanted it. That’s it.”

**...20 minutes later …**   
  


“And there she was, lying there amongst all of that! On the FLOOR! Tossed aside like so much junk! How COULD he?! IT was so awful that I just lost it and flew into a rage. I walked straight over to Mammon, who was lying on his bed asleep. Then I raised my leg up into the air over him and brought my heel down onto his stomach as hard as I could. But the next thing I knew, he wasn’t there on the bed anymore. It all happened so fast. He moved with incredible speed. He grabbed me, picked me up and slammed me head first onto the floor in a pile driver. And the worst part is that he was STARK NAKED! ...As I started to lose consciousness I remember thinking...why does he have to sleep in the nude? He could at least put on some underwear. I don’t remember anything else after that...You’ve seen just how fast he is yourself, haven’t you? No one aside from Lucifer or Beel has that kind of speed. But if, say, a human made a pact with Mammon, and bound him to their service...then he’d have to do whatever that human told him to. Which means that if you make a pact with Mammon and then ordered him to give me back my money...he wouldn’t have any choice but to do it.”

That had been a lot of information for Lily to try to unpack all at once as she stared at this self proclaimed otaku demon. She’d never heard the term before today but after hearing Levi talk and seeing his room, she was beginning to see a picture of what that meant. He really cared about those figurines didn’t he? She glanced at the curio cabinet full of them. 

“What’s a pact?” she finally asked about the only bit of information that had concerned herself. 

Levi looked at her with a bit of impatience, “A pact, with a demon...Haven’t you seen that in movies and such?...Oh right you said you didn’t have a TV... The demon lends his strength to a human to make their wish true in exchange for their soul.”

Lily shook her head. “I’m not giving up my soul!”

Leviathan rolled his eyes, “That isn’t always necessary. IT depends on what’s in the pact. But, well, you need to give something to the demon to make it worth the exchange, so it’s pretty much inevitable. If you don’t want to give up your soul, then I’ll tell you how you can negotiate with Mammon. Also, I’m sure it would be useful having him as your servant. I mean, despite how awful he is, he’s still a powerful demon. But I bet you feel worried, being dragged down here to the Devildom and all. So I don’t think it would end up being a bad deal for you, either. Don’t you agree?”

Lily didn’t like the sound of it at all, it sounded something like slavery to her. She knew she wouldn’t like it if someone had that sort of power over her but Leviathan did make a good point. She was basically defenseless and at the mercy of these demons and that was scary. She should do something to protect herself, shouldn’t she?

“...I suppose you’re right…” she finally answered. 

Levi looked pleased. “I take it this means you think this plan of mine could work, right? Excellent. You may be a human, but still...you show some promise! Regardless, if I’m being honest. I don’t really care what you think. What’s important is that I have a plan and I’m going to explain it to you now. So shut up and listen. If you just walk up to Mammon and ask him to make a pact with you, he’ll never agree. No you need some leverage...a bargaining chip. You’re going to offer him something in return. Something he wants so badly that he’d do ANYTHING to get it.”

After Leviathan had explained his plan to Lily he unlocked his door and once he made sure no one was around to see them, he ushered Lily out of his room and pulled her back down the stairs until they stopped at a door on the first floor. “This is your room. We’ll talk later.” he said without ceremony and left her there. Leviathan felt weird, he’d really blabbered to that human, that wasn’t like him. The human had felt so familiar, but that was wrong, he’d never seen them before in his life, he hurried back to his room so he could focus on something that would take his mind off of it.

Lily peeked into what was to be her room for the duration of her stay and was pleased with what she saw. She hadn’t known what to expect. It was a large room with a full size bed, there were vines growing on the wall and even a tree, it was unusual but she liked it, it reminded her of her cabin and the woods a bit. That thought made her feel homesick but she brightened again when she spied her suitcase sitting on her new bed. She almost cried with relief, the few things that were precious to her were in this suitcase, she didn’t give it much thought on HOW it had arrived but was only grateful that it was here. Lily immediately fished out the photo of herself when she was four with her mother and father and placed it near her bed. The room had a large table for eating and studying, shelves that were already stocked with books she imagined she’d be using for her classes here. There was a first aid kit and some other odds and ends. Once her curiosity was satisfied she unpacked her meager belongings into the chest of drawers and the single closet. There was a door that led to a small toilet and sink but no shower or bathtub. She made do with splashing her face with some cool water. Her hair was a mess, and had twigs and pine needles in it from the forest. After finding her hairbrush she worked out the knots as she took out the rest of her braid. Her thick hair fell past her shoulders in waves, her natural blond roots were beginning to peek out from her pastel lavender dyed hair. 

Dying her hair had been one of Lily’s only indulgences. One day she had to drive all the way into Philly to get a part for her Mazda that the local mechanic didn’t have and she saw so many people, so many women with so many different hairstyles. She never wasted her money or time on cosmetics or clothes. On a whim she decided to go into a salon and have her hair cut for the first time in three years and asked the stylist to dye her hair too. She had fallen in love with all the vivid colors she could choose from. When the stylist had finished, the lavender dye had highlighted her unusual violet eyes and for the first time she looked at herself in the mirror and felt pretty and feminine. She hadn’t been to the salon since, the nearest salon to her wouldn’t carry such exciting colors. She ended up visiting a beauty store before she left and bought all the lavender hair dye they had. It never looked as good as it had when the stylist had dyed it but after a few trial and errors, she’d finally been able to dye her own hair to a satisfactory level. Now she suspected she wouldn’t be able to do so down here in the Devildom. She thought of Levi and his vivid violet hair that matched her eyes and wondered if he dyed his hair? She had a suspicion that it was natural though. She smiled at herself in the mirror wondering what other unusual and wondrous things would be the norm here. 

Lily sat on her bed not knowing what to do. The sky had been dark when Mammon had walked her here but she had no concept on time. Was it still the middle of the night as it had been when I walked into the woods? Did time run the same here? Lily wondered these things and she sat hunched, twiddling her hair between her fingers. She didn’t suppose they’d be working at the Academy in the middle of the night though, but who knows how they operated here? 

There was a knock on the door and a familiar voice spoke. “Lily, I’m entering your room.” The door swung open and she was faced with the dark haired demon with ruby red eyes, Lucifer. He looked around her room before his eyes landed on her. “I see you’ve made an effort to settle in. Good.” he nodded, “Where is Mammon?” he asked. 

Lily just shrugged. “He ran off when Leviathan asked him to pay him back money he owed.” she explained. 

Lucifer sighed, he was already getting a headache. He stepped further into her room and placed a clock on her nightstand next to the picture of her family. “There’s no sun here in the Devildom, it will take awhile for you to adjust.” he explained, his face never softened. “Dinner is in an hour.” he informed her. After a moment of looking her over, he said, “Try not to slouch, it’s unbecoming. You’re representing humankind after all.” the sneering smile he gave her, chilled her. “And...try to find something appropriate to wear.”  Lily didn’t respond and Lucifer didn’t wait for one as he left without ceremony. Lily huffed a sigh, blowing her hair out of her face. She wandered over to the closet and looked at her meager selection and wondered if she had anything that would satisfy Lucifer’s sense of appropriate...she guessed not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I hope ya'll are enjoying my new take on the story so far. I'm always open to thoughts, comments, questions, theories, constructive criticism, etc.


	4. The Human Everyone is Talking About

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and their gossip.

The nicest thing Lily owned was a yellow summer dress that her father had given her when she was sixteen. She’d had her last growth spurt after getting that dress and it didn’t fit as well as it had before. It was just a hair too short and she felt like she always needed to tug the hem down and once she did that she felt like she needed to tug the neckline up to cover up the cleavage she’d never gotten used to.. Still it was the last item of clothing her father had given her and she hadn’t been able to part with it. It wasn’t as cold here as it was back in PA but it was still too chilly for this dress and Lily considered putting her coat on over it but decided not to. Maybe it was bad manners to show up to dinner in a coat?

No one had shown her where the dining room was but she imagined it wouldn’t be too hard to find. They had said this was originally a human world house and so she imagined it would be laid out in a familiar way, even if she’d never been in such a huge house before. Following her ears and nose she found the kitchen first which, she realized, shared a wall with her own room. She found the blond demon picking up a pot of something when he glanced her way, he gave her a cordial smile. “Ah. Lily. You’re just in time. Can you carry that dish for me?” 

Lily smiled, happy to help and grabbed the tray of what looked to be sandwiches and followed the blond demon, Satan, if she remembered correctly. There was a large fire roaring in the fireplace in the large dining room but Lily didn’t think it did anything to warm the room. She shivered as she followed Satan to the table and laid down the tray where he indicated. All the demons she had met that day were already seated, the Avatar of Gluttony was grabbing sandwiches off the tray as soon as she set it down. It seemed they ate family style, it seemed to her very wholesome considering they were demons. They said they were brothers but none of them looked anything alike, maybe there was something similar between Lucifer and Satan... 

Lily went to sit a couple seats down from the demons when Lucifer cleared his throat from the head of the table. “Your seat is here across from Mammon, Lily.” he indicated the open seat to his left next to Leviathan who was absorbed in his phone. Pushing the chair back in she walked over to the seat she was assigned. This Lucifer must be a very controlling type she thought to herself. 

Asmodeus had been frowning at Lily since she walked in. “Oh I can’t take it! What in the three realms are you wearing Lily?!” he asked, seemingly aghast as he jumped out of his chair and was suddenly in front of Lily tugging at her dress. “It’s the wrong season, the color might have been nice at some point, tsk...the hem is frayed..”

“ASMODEUS SIT DOWN.” Lucifer didn't yell but his voice was so clear and commanding that Lily felt he might well have. 

Asmodeus sat back down with a flip of his hair. “Well I’m sorry Lucifer…” he said, not sounding very sincere at all as Lily sat with a slight blush, she wasn’t used to so much scrutiny. “But really?! It’s not every day a human has the absolute pleasure and honor to have dinner with me, let alone our entire family of Avatars. She could have put in a little more effort, that’s all I’m saying!” 

“This is the nicest thing I own.” Lily said softly but not weakly, she wasn’t ashamed of her clothes and while her shoulders may have been slightly hunched against the chill, her chin was level. Not tucked in shame nor risen proudly. 

Lucifer sighed. “Well at least wear something warm then.” he lectured. “Diavolo would be displeased if you caught a cold on your first day.” he said severely. 

“Ooh you poor thing!” Asmodeus cried after he got over the initial shock from Lily's statement. “Don’t you worry Asmodeus will take you shopping! It’ll be so much fun!” the demon said, throwing up his hands. “Right after we incinerate that dress. Heheheh.”

Lily, who had always been a gentle and peaceful child, rarely got upset which had been a blessing to her father who had to raise her on his own for most of her life. However, she was not without her own sort of courage and she never let herself be bullied. 

“You will not.” she said, standing and looking at Asmodeus defiantly, her little fists were bunched in the skirts of her dress. 

Asmodeus gasped, holding his large yet delicate looking hand against his chest. “Ah! Lucifeeer! Did you hear how this human speaks to me?” he complained. 

“Pffff!” Levi began snickering and typing something on his phone. Satan was giving Lily an appraising look and Mammon just looked inconvenienced, and of course the Avatar of Gluttony wasn’t paying any attention to anything except the food he was consuming. 

“Lily sit down.” Lucifer commanded, Asmodeus was looking smug until Lucifer added, “And Asmodeus, you’ll leave Lily and her belongings alone. Now everyone will shut up and eat before Beel finishes all the food.” he ordered and went back to his own food. 

Lily sat and tried to ignore everyone to focus on the food on the table. The sandwiches she’d help Satan bring out seemed to have little legs sticking out the sides which she wrinkled her nose at. Instead she laddled herself a modest scoop of soup. Lifting her spoon she swirled her spoon through the liquid, she half expected to find an eyeball swimming in her soup and was relieved to find that wasn’t the case. She tried to inconspicuously sniff the liquid in her spoon before daring to taste it. 

“Oi! Whaddya doin’ smelling your food like that human?” Mammon barked, bringing attention to her once more. Lucifer smirked. “While I can’t guarantee you’ll find all our food favourable, I promise nothing at this table is harmful to you. Keep in mind that there are things that are inedible to humans here in the Devildom to be sure.” 

Lily didn’t know if she could trust a word these demons told her but she gathered her courage and took a small taste of the soup. After all, she couldn’t let herself starve. The flavor was unfamiliar but thankfully she didn’t find it disgusting. She didn’t dare ask what it was called or the ingredients, after all, some things were best not knowing. After eating most of her soup, she set her spoon down. “May I be excused, please?” she asked, looking to Lucifer who was obviously in charge around here. 

Lucifer eye’d her and her bowl and empty plate. “That’s all you’re going to eat?” he asked skeptically. “I’m tired and I’m not very hungry to be honest.” she answered. 

“Hmm. Very well. I expect you to eat a proper breakfast in the morning before classes though.” Lucifer told her, dismissing her. Lily wondered what constituted a proper breakfast around here. 

“Umm…” Lily hesitated. “Where can I take a shower?” she asked. 

“I’ll show her.” Levi said, standing up. “Come on normie.” he said, as he stalked out of the room. Lily moved quickly to keep up with him. Neither of them saw the surprised looks of everyone at the table, each one wondering what was up with Levi’s odd behavior. 

Lily had to work her legs extra hard to keep up with the long legged demon. “There’s four full bathrooms in the house, but only two are available to all of us, which is quite a pain really considering so many of us live here.” Leviathan complained. He stopped outside a door just down the hall from her bedroom. “This bathroom is fairly small, it just has a standing shower and none of us use it as much as the one upstairs.” he explained. “Mammon and Asmo are the worst bathroom hogs. Lucifer has his own bathroom and the best bedroom because he’s the oldest. Asmo has his own bathroom too, which isn’t fair at all because he’s only fifth!” Levi continued to rant. “Anyway, you’re just a human so your privileges come dead last. You better keep your business quick so you don’t disrupt our schedules.”  Lily thought to herself that this demon must really have a chip on his shoulder and maybe that should be expected, he was the Avatar of Envy. “Okay. Thanks for showing me Levi.” she told him with a slight smile. 

Levi blushed and stammered. “D-D-Don’t get the wrong idea human! I don’t care. I just came to remind you of our plan. You better be prepared for tomorrow.” he told her before storming off. Lily shrugged and entered the small bathroom. She was relieved to find fresh towels and nice smelling soaps and shampoos. She took a quick shower and hurried back to her bedroom, feeling relieved that she didn’t run into anyone. The shower had relaxed her but it also made her realize just how dead tired she was too. 

Lily barely remembered resting her head on the pillow when the alarm clock that Lucifer had brought, went off at an ungodly hour. Lily was generally a morning person but this morning she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. She’d half expected to wake up in the car, but no, this wasn’t a dream and the reality of her situation was quickly sinking in. Someone had brought her a school uniform similar to the ones she saw the demons wearing in the assembly hall yesterday. She shivered a bit to think that one of them had entered her room while she was asleep. She didn’t know if she should be grateful or further creeped out by the fact that the uniform fit her perfectly. She had just finished dressing when Mammon burst into her room loudly without knocking or announcing himself in any way. 

“It’s rude for a boy to enter a girls room without knocking first.” she told Mammon.

Mammon glared at Lily. “Oi! What’s with the attitude first thing in the morning! Did you forget who I am? Huh? Are ya that stupid? I’m not a boy, I’m a demon. I’m the Great Mammon and doncha forget it!” he yelled. 

Lily only blinked at the demon, she had no response for that. At least none that would please this demon. 

Mammon almost seemed more annoyed that she had nothing else to say. “Hmph! I came to get ya for breakfast. So hurry up, human. If we’re late, Beel will have eaten everything.”

Breakfast was less awkward than dinner and there were some familiar dishes on the table. She was realizing that the Devildom had a lot of the same dishes, it was just that they were made with different ingredients. She tried not to imagine what sort of animal the eggs came from that made the omelette she was eating. 

Mammon walked her to class after Lucifer had given her a class schedule and told her the books she needed for each class. She found the books and a book bag ready for her in her room. As soon as they got onto the campus though Mammon had ditched her, claiming he had things he needed to do. Lily had been nervous about attending college and being around so many people, she had been worried about making connections and friends. She’d never had much chance or success with it in the past. Now it was even worse than she had feared because she wasn’t surrounded by ordinary humans, no, she was surrounded by demons and they all stared at her with curious and unfriendly faces. 

Looking at the map of the campus again, Lily tried to figure out which direction she should go to get to her first class. Most of her classes were the basic classes, the 101 equivalent of the human world. That meant she’d share most of her classes with the other exchange students and demons who were described to her as being young or low ranking. As she was scrutinizing her map she couldn’t help but overhear two demons talking about her. 

“Hey, check it out. That’s the human that everyone’s been talking about. You think it’s true what they say, that Mammon became a babysitter?” The first demon said. “Well if so, then I’d say that actually works out great, doncha think? If we wait and strike when he’s not paying attention, he’ll never figure out it was us. C’mon we should devour the human before Beel does.” she heard the second one respond. 

Fight or flight kicked in for Lily and she remembered Mammon giving her the advice to run, as if there were any other options for her? She moved away quickly and almost ran into another student. 

“Careful there.” the Silver haired demon laughed. “Please don’t eat me.” Lily squeaked. 

The silvered haired one laughed. “Hey, you shouldn’t go around with that frightened, tormented look on your face that demons love so much. You're practically screaming, come and eat me! I’m scrumptious!” he laughed when Lily only blinked at his blunt comment. “Your name’s Lily isn’t it? This DDD here belongs to you right? I saw you drop it just now. Here, take it. Haha, what’s with that look? There’s no need to be suspicious of me. My name’s Solomon. I’m an exchange student from the human world, just like you. Nice to meet you.”

“O-oh. Thank you…” Lily said politely as she accepted her phone back from the man who introduced himself as Solomon. “Are you really human?” she asked him as she looked him over, he had an otherworldly air about him and she wasn’t sure he just wasn’t a demon trying to get her guard down.

The silver haired Solomon laughed again, “Hahaha, good question. Honestly, there are times when even I’m not so sure…” he replied rubbing his chin with a thoughtful look. “ Long ago, I obtained a ring of wisdom, a gift from a certain someone in a very high position. And, drunk on it’s power I used it to form pacts with 72 different demons, becoming a wicked sorcerer..That is, if you believe all the stories people tell about me. Regardless. I’m fairly sure that I am indeed still human, though it may not seem like it.” He smiled, his eyes shifted to something behind her before he said, “Uh oh I’d better get going...See you around Lily. Take care of yourself.”

Hmph. Lily thought it was rude of him to take off like that. If he really was a fellow human shouldn’t they stick together? She didn’t know what to take from what he said. It almost sounded like he was claiming to be THE Solomon...but that was ridiculous right? More impossible than a place called the Devildom and going to an Academy full of demons though? She asked herself. 

Lily went to move in the direction she was almost confident her class was in when Lucifer was there before her. “Good morning, Lily. You’ve become quite the celebrity here, haven’t you?” he greeted her, he’d been the only one missing from breakfast that morning. The others had informed her that he often left earlier than everyone else.

“Good morning, Sir.” Lily greeted him respectfully since he seemed to be such an important figure around here. Lucifer smirked, “Looks like you made it through the night without being eaten. Good for you. Still there’s no guarantee that you’ll make it to tomorrow.”

Lily wished these demons would stop talking about her as if she was a viable menu option, it was very unnerving. She felt like a lamb among wolves. As a human in the human realm she’d always taken being at the top of the food chain for granted. It definitely gave her new insight. 

Lucifer seemed to be looking over her shoulder at the retreating figure of Solomon. “Was that Solomon I saw you talking with earlier?” he inquired. “You and he are the only two students from the human world here. Seeing as you’re both human, it’s fine if you associate with him, but know that he can’t be trusted.” Lucifer warned Lily with an expression that somehow looked even more serious than usual. “He may be a mere human, but he has a ring imbued with wisdom and he wields powerful magic. He’s the type of man who will try to subjugate even a powerful, greater demon if he gets the chance.”

Well that explained why Lucifer didn’t trust Solomon, but as a mere human, as they liked to say, Lily didn’t see why she had any reason to distrust him. Lily wasn’t about to voice those thoughts to Lucifer though, especially not when he looked so serious. Now that he was here though, Lily remembered Levi’s plan. 

“You look like you have something you’d like to ask?” Lucifer said.

“Hmm, yes. Well I was wondering...are there any items that aren’t allowed at the academy? If a student’s belongings are confiscated, what happens then?” Lily asked.

Lucifer raised a brow. “I’m not sure why you’re asking since you have so little belongings. Still...I assume you’ll have the opportunity to obtain things during your stay here..if the student council decides that a student possesses something that is causing problems we do confiscate it in some cases. Sometimes we return it after a certain period of time, sometimes we don't.” Lucifer explained. 

Lily giggled. “I bet Mammon has had lots of things confiscated, he seems to like to cause you trouble.” 

Lucifer smirked at Lily with an almost knowing look. “You’re not wrong, in fact, I had to confiscate something so dear to him that I had it frozen.” Lucifer answered cryptically. 

“Ahh that’s the first bell. You don’t want to be late now.” Lucifer said and ushered Lily off to her first class of the day. 

  
  
  


**In another classroom that same day…**

Asmodeus, Satan and Solomon sat in an empty classroom playing cards. Satan growls frustrated when Solomon wins yet again. “Are you using some sort of magic? Like a spell that alters the appearance of the cards in your hand?” Asmodeus accuses Solomon with a friendly smile. Solomon shakes his head with a fake frown, “Now, now, I’m not like you demons. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t accuse me of behaving like one. I am but a simple human, an innocent lamb…” 

Satan almost chokes in response, “ I’m surprised you can say that with a straight face, considering you’re the most powerful sorcerer in the history of mankind.” Solomon puts his hand on his chest, feigning humility and replies, “ Wow, is that really what you think, Satan? I have to say, I’m honored. Still, if Mammon were here, he might have broken up my record breaking winning streak.”

Satan nodded his head in agreement, “True. As soon as money is involved, it’s as if a switch flips inside of him. He’ll make sure it ends up his, almost like some sort of superpower.” Asmo nods as well, “Mm, you’re right. Strange, considering he’s usually such a dolt.” he laughs. 

Solomon cocks his head curiously, “All of you are always putting down Mammon, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be a bit more respectful? After all, he is your older brother.”

Satan completely ignores Solomon and changes the subject, “Oh, speaking of Mammon, that reminds me. I heard something interesting from Lucifer.” Solomon frowns, “So you’re going to pretend you didn’t hear what I said?” Continuing to ignore Solomon, Satan tells them, “He said that Lily is trying to make a pact with Mammon apparently.”

Asmo looks surprised when he exclaims, “What? Lily? Make a pact with Mammon?”

“Huh..interesting” Solomon looks contemplative as he listens to Satan. “Are you for real? That’s hilarious~ What else do you know? Time to spill the tea, Satan.” Asmo urges his brother. 

“According to Lucifer, Lily has teamed up with Levi. They’re planning on making a deal with Mammon to get what they want. It seems they’re looking for that credit card of his - the one Lucifer confiscated.” Satan confides. 

Solomon nods, considering. “ I see. So, they plan to pressure him to enter into a pact in exchange for the credit card, then.” 

Asmo holds up a manicured hand, “Wait, back up a second. Before we even get to that, there’s a lot to unpack here! What’s all this about Levi teaming up with Lily?! I mean we’re talking about Levi, the super otaku who never comes out of his room! Is he really capable of working together with a real live person?! Also, how exactly does Lucifer know all this?”

“Apparently Lily spoke to Lucifer directly, trying to figure out where the credit card is.” Satan explains. Asmo looks confused as Solomon breaks out in laughter. “What’s so funny about that?” Asmo demands. “Well, it’s quite the turn of events, now isn’t it? I can’t help but think that Lily really shows a lot of promise.” Solomon explains. Asmo scoffs, he’s still not completely over the way Lily talked to him the other night at dinner and there’s something peculiar about a girl that isn’t swooning all over his looks. 

“Well, Lucifer must’ve felt the same way, because he said that he gave Lily a hint about the card’s whereabouts” Satan continues to spill the tea. “Wait, he actually did that?” Asmo gasps. “Wow, he must really have taken a liking to Lily. Do you think Mammon will agree to a pact if it means he gets his credit card back?”

“Knowing him, probably, yes.” Solomon says. 

“Yep. Though he’ll likely throw quite the tantrum over it first.” Satan agrees. 

“Why is it that all of you act like entering into a pact is this huge deal? Take Solomon and me, for example. We’re in a pact together already right?...Oh yeah, and he’s got one with Barbatos too.” Asmo says. Solomon, pretending at humility says, “Yes, I’ve been very fortunate. But I am very interested to see where this is going. I’m shocked enough that Lucifer is showing interest in someone besides Diavolo, much less a human.” Solomon says and Asmo and Satan wonder if they are hearing a hint of jealousy in his voice. 

Satan only shrugs, “Guess he’s added a new favorite person to his list to go along with Mammon.” Asmo grins, “Ah, speaking of how much Lucifer loves Mammon. I seem to remember something sort of like this happening once before.”

“Oh with those witches you mean?” Satan clarifies and Asmo nods. “What’s this about witches?” Solomon asks.


	5. Lily's First Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily makes her first pact.

**Lily’s Daily Journal - Day 3**

_ I have considered that I could be in a dream, or that I’m in a coma and my body is laying on a hospital bed, or I’ve died and I am in hell. Having no way of knowing, I decided that I must go on and live as if this is all real and accept that I’ve stumbled into a new world. I was on my way to College in Boston, I had finally accepted that my father was not returning to our home in the woods and that I couldn’t survive there on my own forever. I had to be brave and face the world. Now, if I am not suffering from a delusion...I’ve found that the world, the universe is as big as my wildest imaginations always pictured it to be. I would often escape the tiny cabin and the woods in my mind, traveling off to far off lands and galaxies. Now my dreams have become my reality. This world is not the one I would have dreamt up for myself though. They call it the Devildom, the realm of Demons. Hell, the underworld...I cannot help but think of Father...I still have his notebook and even though much of its contents I cannot comprehend, I cannot help but think that he knew of this place. I cannot help but wonder if he stumbled upon this place like I did. Could he be lost here? Could he have been eaten by a demon or worse? _

_ They’ve spoken of Angels although I have yet to meet them, they are arriving tomorrow I was told. Did Father find them? Did he find a way to speak with Mother? I am hesitant to voice these thoughts to anyone here. I am alone and can only keep my own council. I will have to wait to see if I can trust anyone here, there is another human here and I hope we can become allies. If I can get to know him better maybe I can share my secrets with him. I cannot help but think it is fate that has brought me to this strange realm, I am afraid to hope… _

Lily closed her journal and tucked it under her mattress. When her D.D.D. pinged she found that Leviathan had sent her a message. Awkwardly she typed out a response.

**> Leviathan:** Come to the kitchen. Right now. Don’t tell anyone what you’re doing. I don’t want anyone to mistakenly think that I hang out with some human normie.

**< Lily** : ...Okay I will be there soon.

Lily wondered why Leviathan would want to meet her at this late hour in the kitchen and considered not going to meet him, but that would be rude wouldn’t it? She wasn’t raised to be rude. Leviathan also seemed unpredictable to her as well, she should try not to anger these demons while she was a guest under their roof. Lily had always imagined Hell would be hot but the Devildom was always cold, especially at night. She slipped on her old, ratty slippers and shrugged on her oversized winter coat before heading to the kitchen. 

Lily heard someone in the Kitchen before she saw them, the large gluttonous one was hunched over in front of the fridge. Lots of crunching and slurping noises had her pausing in her footsteps. Slowly and as quietly as she could, she tried to leave the kitchen without the Demon noticing her, after all, didn’t Leviathan not want anyone to see them?

“Not so fast. Are you going to pretend like you didn’t see me here, or is it that you’re planning to go tell on me? ….Meh, I guess it doesn’t matter either way.” Beel’s deep voice had startled her when he began speaking. By the time she turned back around he was already rummaging in the fridge again. 

Lily didn’t know what to say, Leviathan would be mad if she told Beel the truth. “Ah..no. I was just…” Lily’s stomach growled before she could finish her sentence. It may not be why she came to the kitchen but it was true that she was hungry, she hadn’t had much appetite for Devildom food. 

Beelzebub gave Lily a big smile when he heard the tiny growl of her stomach, like a little kitten it reminded him. “Ah you’re hungry? That makes two of us, then. In that case, I understand. When you start feeling hungry in the middle of the night, it’s not like you can just wait until morning to eat. Oh and the refrigerator's empty. I already ate everything in there.”

Lily didn’t necessarily agree with those sentiments but she didn’t say anything, this Demon seemed friendly enough but it had been implied once too often that she was considered a viable food option for these demons. She just hoped he wasn’t hungry enough to attack her. As Lily scrutinized the Avatar of Gluttony she had a sense of familiarity but something was missing, it was then that a thought occurred to her. 

“You look like you have something you want to ask?” Beelzebub asked. 

“Oh, well...I was told there were seven brothers..but I’ve only met six.” Lily asked with curiosity but the energy in the room quickly shifted as the friendly smile on the demon's face turned into a frown. 

“...Now listen, don’t you ever mention him in front of Lucifer. Just so we’re clear, I’m not going to tell you anything, either. Lucifer would yell at me if I did. And don’t bother asking any of my brothers, either. No one talks about him. Even though he’s our brother...we have to treat him like he doesn’t exist...it’s not right. But since no one can defy Lucifer…” Beelzebub shook his head in frustration and growled. “...You know what? This isn’t any of your business, human. I’m leaving. I’ve already eaten everything there was in the refrigerator now anyway. I’m pretty sure Lucifer is hiding a poisoned apple in the desk in the study…”

Lily watched the Demon go and wondered why her question had agitated him so much. She couldn’t imagine why they were not allowed to talk about their own brother. It seemed cruel...but these were Demons she had to remind herself. 

“Pssst! Human! Over here!” Lily heard Leviathan hiss out a whisper from somewhere in the darkness. Peering into the darkness something or someone moved closer until she could make out the eerie glow of Leviathan’s amber eyes glowing through the darkness, sending a shiver down her spine. 

“Why are you hiding in the dark?” Lily asked, hoping he would stop lingering there. 

“What do you think? Beel was just in here! I can’t have him finding me with you. Now can I!!? So, it’s really true, right? Lucifer definitely used the word “frozen” In that case, it could only be hidden in here.” Leviathan said, as he moved out of the shadows and infront of the refrigerator that Beel had just been raiding. 

“The freezer?” Lily asked with a wrinkle in her nose. “Would it be so obvious?”

Leviathan rolled his eyes, “It doesn’t take a master plan to fool Mammon. We’ve told you what an idiot he is right?!”

Lily couldn’t understand why they were all so mean to Mammon. They all fell to their subscribed sin as she understood it, so why was Mammon judged more harshly?

Lily watched as Leviathan began rummaging through the deep freezer, after several minutes of searching and commenting on some hidden ice cream, Levi exclaimed triumphantly, “Found it! Lucifer wasn’t Lying. It really is frozen. Ugh, it’s super heavy! And big, too. I’m gonna put it in the microwave. Let’s see. I guess about two minutes on auto should do the trick. Now I’ll hit the start button and let the defrosting begin!”

I smiled at Leviathan, he was really a different Demon when he was happy and lit up about something. Leviathan caught Lily smiling at him and turned his face away blushing. “S-stop looking at me like that human.”

Lily didn’t have a chance to respond when Mammon suddenly showed up, “Oi! What are you doin’ outta bed human!?” he practically yelled as he stomped up to them. Once again Lily had no chance to utter a word before Mammon was going off again. “...HEY, wait a minute. There in the microwave...That looks like Goldie, my credit card! My baby! The one thing more important to me than life itself! Get it outta there before the microwave demagnetizes it and makes it useless!”

“Ooh, didn’t think of that. Better stop the defrost cycle, I guess!” Leviathan laughed and stopped the microwave. “Levi, you idiot! How could you doing somethin’ so stupid?! You’re dumb as a stump, ya know that?!” Mammon snapped. “Hmmm, are you SURE you should be talking to me like that. Mammon? After all, I’m the one who found the credit card Lucifer took from you.” Lily thought that Leviathan looked very amused by the whole situation. While she was just trying to wrap her mind around Demons and credit cards. But Mammon had suddenly gone quiet. 

“So, do you want me to give you your card back?” Levi taunted his older brother, Lily could see how much he was enjoying this. “You BETTER!..” Mammon snapped before softening his voice and fidgeting nervously, “Um..I mean, yes, please. Please give it back, Leviathan, sir…!” Lily had to suppress a giggle and pressed her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. 

”Oh wow, this is embarrassing! I can’t believe that’s all it took for you to abandon your pride! You’re even down on your knees! You’re one of the seven rules of the Devildom. Mammon. Shouldn’t you be ashamed of yourself? Well, whatever...Okay then, if you want your card back, you’ve got to give me the Seraphina figurine you won at the convenience store.” Leviathan was really eating this up as he spoke to his brother smugly. 

However Mammon’s face was scrunched in confusion. “The sera..what now? What’re ya talkin’ about? I don’t remember winnin’ anything.” Leviathan’s face scrunched up in angry, his demeanor shiftly quickly at Mammon’s admission. “I don’t believe this! You forgot that you even have her! How could you!?” he cried with indignation. Lily was still trying to wrap her mind around this concept of an Otaku and the fact that this powerful otherworldly being would spend their time this way. 

“Ugh, c’mon, enough! Whatever you want, I’ll give it to ya! Just give me back my credit card!” Mammon whined impatiently, staring at the credit card greedily. “Allright, but there’s one more condition. I want you to make a pact with this human.” Leviathan told his brother gruffly. 

Mammon was all smiles, “Right, a pact, fine. I’m more than happy to do whatever you...wait, WHAT?! Why d’ya want ME to make a PACT?!” he was suddenly shouting again as Levi’s words actually sunk in. 

Leviathan was acting smug again, “Think about it: If you make the pact with Lily, you’ll have to do whatever you’re told, right? Then she’ll order you to give me my money back immediately. And since you can’t refuse a direct order from your master, you’ll do exactly that. Game over, I win!” he declared proudly. 

“pff, I don’t believe this!” Mammon scoffed. “ It’s just money, Levi I can’t believe you’d go through all this trouble!” Leviathan raised his brows, “ Excuse me?! Remind me again which one of us tossed aside what little pride he had left all to get his hands on a credit card?”

“Hey, you shut up! And you, human! What’re ya thinking, lettin’ Levi use you like this? Are you stupid? Go on, say somethin’!” Mammon turned his attention on Lily who had been quietly watching the scene unfold. She blinked and Mammon sighed impatiently. 

Lily really didn’t like the idea of making a pact with a Demon, it just sounded wrong to her. However, Leviathan had made a good point. She was vulnerable here and Mammon wasn’t the most reliable guardian, he’d already proved that much, with a pact she could at least force him to protect her if it came down to it. Forcing had never been in Lily’s vocabulary before but she was in a strange new world and she needed to look after herself. 

Leviathan’s patience almost broke waiting on the human to say something when Lily finally looked Mammon in the eye. 

“Make a pact with me Mammon.” she said. 

Mammon’s eyes went wide, he had not been expecting that. “UH-UH, NO WAY! NOT INTERESTED! I am the Great Mammon, Avatar of Greed, one of the seven rulers of the Devildom! Fool….do you actually think I’d let some human be the boss of me?” he forced a laugh. 

Levi didn’t look impressed by Mammon’s outburst though as he smirked and called out, “Oh Luuucifeeer! Mammon’s here unfreezing his credit canard!”

Mammon shoved Levi aside and approached Lily, “I mean, of course I’ll make a pact with you, human! I’d be thrilled to!” he said quickly. With a tint of blush on his cheeks he grabbed her hand and pulled it roughly out of her coat sleeve that had somewhat swallowed it. Lily almost pulled her hand back on instinct. It was the first time one of them had touched her skin and it made her feel...odd? That tickling sensation at the back of her skull, like when you’ve forgotten something behind and you know you’ve forgotten something but cannot recall what. 

Mammon’s cheeks seemed to grow redder by the moment. Levi snorted. “Oi! Give us some privacy will ya?” Mammon barked at his brother. “Fine.” Leviathan rolled his eyes and moved far enough away to observe without being too obtrusive. After all, most demons considered this sort of ritual to be a private affair. 

Lily was looking at Mammon’s hands that held hers. Her hand looked so pale and frail in his. Lily had observed that the Demon hands were another feature that gave you a clue that they were not quite human. They were just a bit too large, the fingers just a bit too long. She noted that his fingernails were well manicured and painted white, his hands were soft with only slight calluses on his fingertips. 

“The Avatar of Greed’s mark goes on the hand. The greedy take with their hands..but I sense no greed in you...so my mark will not go on your palm.” Lily had never heard Mammon speak so softly. Mammon lifted a finger to his mouth and pricked it on one of his sharp almost fang like canines. He traced a symbol, his symbol on the top of her right hand in his blood. 

“I am Mammon, the Avatar of Greed. With my blood I pledge my service, let no being, mighty or small, sunder this unbreakable bond. Let the denizens of darkness witness my oath and make it so.”

The symbol he had traced flared brightly gold on her skin before vanishing all together. “It’s gone.” Lily exclaimed, “Did it not take?” she wondered. “Pfft. Ya.. it took, human.” Mammon answered gruffly, his cheeks still stained pink. He rubbed his thumb over her hand and the pact mark flared to life for only a second before disappearing again. Lily looked at her hand in wonder, she wondered if she’d made a big mistake. Yet something had changed inside her, it wasn’t a bit change, she herself felt no different, she was the same old Lily as always. Yet that feeling of familiarity had grown and when she looked at Mammon she knew him and she knew she could trust him. 

Mammon didn’t give her a chance to ask questions as he dropped her hand suddenly as if it burnt him. “You should get to bed now Human.” he said gruffly and pushed her towards her room. 

“Aren’t you two forgetting something?!” Levi was suddenly back in front of them, waving around Mammon’s credit card. Mammon’s eyes tracked the credit card as he considered trying to wrestle it from his brother now. “Let’s test this pact out.” Levi grinned. “You know what to do Lily.”

Lily looked at Mammon apologetically, she wasn’t sure why though. If he owed Levi money he should pay him back, it was the right thing to do. Yet forcing her will on him felt wrong. Still, she had made a promise to Leviathan. “Mammon, please pay Leviathan back.” she pleaded sweetly. 

Mammon waited for the pact to kick in but nothing happened and he grinned in delight. “HA! Jokes on you Levi!” he shouted. “This ordinary human doesn’t have enough power to force me to do anything.” he laughed. “Guess you’re never getting your money back huh?” 

Lily thought Mammon’s attitude was awful and she told him, “Mammon, that’s not right. Pay Levi back.” she said more sternly and really meant it this time. 

“Pff!” Mammon began to laugh again but then the smile was wiped off his face and it was Levi’s turn to laugh as Mammon pulled out his wallet and immediately took out the amount he owned Levi and gave it to him right there on the spot. 

“What?! You scumbag Mammon! You said you didn’t have any money!” Levi scoffed as he counted the grimm. Once he was satisfied he smiled. “You’re not so bad for a normie, human. B-but d-don’t go thinking we’re friends now, because we’re not. I got my money and you got a pact. It was a good exchange. Now I’ve got a DVD blu ray set to buy.” he said and rushed off to his room without another word. 

Mammon shook his head, looking disgusted. “Ugh, well at least I got my goldie back!” he was all smiles suddenly as he kissed the card and then he looked at Lily. “Oi! I thought I told you to go to bed?!” he barked. 

Lily shrugged and headed off to bed, she had a sense that her life was only going to get more interesting from here on.

Mammon watched Lily until she disappeared into her bedroom. He had been fighting the draw he felt towards her from the moment he saw her in the RAD assembly hall and now that feeling of familiarity was stronger. He felt a strong possessiveness towards her growing inside him and he growled in annoyance. "What a pain..." he complained. At least he had his darlin' Goldie back in his life. 


	6. I Spy With My Little Eye..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily meets an unusual fellow.

A tapping woke Lily from her slumber, she tried to ignore it. Her alarm hadn’t even gone off yet, she wasn’t used to feeling so tired. In the human realm she had always been a morning person, rising with the sun. There wasn’t a sun in the Devildom though, maybe that's why? The tapping persisted. Sitting up, Lily rubbed her eyes and looked around her room. The tapping wasn’t coming from her door, and there were no windows in her room, that’s when she realized it was coming from her closet. Lily’s imagination raced through all the horrible things that could be in her closet right now. Back home she would have never had such thoughts but anything was possible here? As she cautiously crept towards her closet she grabbed a thick textbook of her table and raised it high when she flung open the closet. Lily ducked down when something small and black flew out of her closet. What in the world? She thought to herself as she turned and saw a large black crow flapping around her room. Finally landing in the tree by her bed it squawked at her. Lily set her book back down on the table, her hand over her heart and she scolded the bird. “You gave me a fright! How did you get in my room and trapped in my closet no less?” she asked the bird, not expecting an answer to be forthcoming as she wondered if one of those Demons did this to her as a prank.

Sitting on the edge of her bed she allowed herself to fall backwards and laid there, her feet dangling above the floor as she let her racing heart calm back down. The bird cawed again and flew down to perch on the headrest of her bed. Lily looked at the bird curiously before closing her eyes and taking in a calming breath.

“Ouch!” Lily yelped. The damn crow had hoped down next to her and pecked her right between her eyes. Standing again Lily gave the bird an accusing look, she typically loved animals but she was in the Devildom and maybe she couldn’t even trust the crows here. Her hand came away and she was bleeding a bit. “What did you do that for, you naughty bird?” 

The bird opened its mouth to caw at her but instead laughter burst forth. Lily looked surprised. “I had to open your third eye, no pain no gain, so they say.” the crow spoke as it hopped around. Lily blinked at the crow. Okay. Talking crows...no big deal...that’s not weirder than traveling across realms and living with demons..sure...the crow waited patiently through Lily’s inner dialog with herself. 

“My third eye?” Lily asked. The crow chortled again, “Don’t worry little human, I didn’t turn you into a mutant or anything.” the bird teased her. Suddenly they were interrupted by the pinging noise on her D.D.D. that notified her of a next text. 

“Oh! Here we go!” The crow flapped its wings excitedly. “Go on, check your phone.” It encouraged the girl. Lily couldn’t understand why the bird was so excited but grabbed her phone to check her messages anyway. As she sat on the bed she opened up the messenger app, she was slowly becoming accustomed to using the piece of technology but she was still too slow for her visitors taste. There was a small flash of light and a gust of air puffed across her skin, the mattress sank to her left under the weight of its new occupant. Lily let out a short scream that was quickly muffled by a large hand. “Hey! Don’t be so loud, you’ll draw Mammon here.” he warned Lily. The man had a goofy grin on his face, he was handsome and tall and Lily could only guess he was a demon too. His hair was back and almost feather like? His eyes were like shiny black pools of obsidian and this close to him, Lily could imagine she could she the whole galaxy shimmering inside them. When the man was sure that Lily wasn’t going to scream he released her and snatched up her phone. 

Lily was trying to keep up with him, his voice was the same as the crow. The crow was gone and this man was here now, she could only assume they were one in the same. The crow man person...whatever..excitedly opened her messenger app and pointed to the new message that had a yellow eye in front of the chat name, The Demon Brothers. “This is a private conversation,” he told Lily, “But now,” he used a finger to tap between her eyes, “You can see it too.” he grinned conspiratorially. The man opened the message before Lily could complain, the man frowned at the conversation he was reading. “Well that was boring!” he complained. “They’re just arguing about what to make for breakfast again.” he sighed, but then looked at Lily again in a way that made goosebumps rise on her arms. “But rest assured, they will have more interesting conversations.” he grinned. 

“I don’t think it’s right...to read their private conversations.” Lily said, finally finding her voice. “Who are you anyway and why are you doing this?” she pressed him with questions. 

The man tossed her phone on the bed and leapt up and stood tall before her before he bowed with a flourish. “Karasu is the name, spy craft is my game. Care to play?” he grinned madly. 

“Umm, no thank you.” Lily said politely. Karasu frowned, but Lily continued. “So why?” she asked again, confusion writ all over her face. Karasu rubbed his fingers over his chin and Lily noticed his fingertips were black as if they had been dipped in dye. “Hmmm. I’m not sure I want to lay out all my cards yet babe.” he grinned.

Lily stood, “Well..I’m sure Lucifer will be interested -” 

“Hey hey hey! Don’t be like that girlie, I’m just trying to do something nice, help you out here.” Karasu had pounced on Lily when she had threatened him with Lucifer and had her pushed back onto the bed as he knelt over her with her arms pinned down. “Ah ah!” he warned, pressing a finger to her lips when it looked like she might cry out. 

Karasu's eyes tracked over the human and he gave her another lopsided grin. “You’re pretty cute..for a human.” he winked. Lily was frightened of this bird man...demon person. His behavior was erratic and unpredictable. “Ah...don’t cry.” he frowned. “Just dont...don’t threaten me with Lucifer.” he chuckled, “And we’ll be friends, the best of friends.” he laughed. “I’ll answer some of your questions..because I’m a nice demon!”

Karasu rolled off Lily and she sat up and wiped at the tears that had threatened to spill. “So you’re a demon like the brothers?” she asked. 

“Yes..No! Sorta. I’m more crow than man, not that’s not right either.” he said, pacing the room. “I’m more spirit than anything, I spend most of my time in the body of a crow but I can take this form too when it suits me.” he spun one of her table chairs around and sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the back, his head leaning into a fist as he smiled at Lily. 

“You made a pact with my Master last night.” he suddenly announced as if letting her in on some secret as his voice lowered. This was surprising news to Lily, did Mammon send this demon?

“I know what you’re thinking.” Karasu said, his voice still hushed. “Mammon doesn’t know I’m here, he didn’t ask this of me….in fact...he’d probably punish me if he knew.” he shrugged and smiled a little again, pressing his finger up against his own lips. “So it’s our little secret okay?”

“Okay?” Lily was confused, why were Demons so confusing? 

Again it seemed as if Karasu was reading her mind when he said, “Try not to worry your pretty little head over it. Let me just say this...Mammon and I have been together for a long time and let’s just say that I know him better than he knows himself. He’d want me to help keep you safe but he’d never admit that, so I’m doing the dude a solid. I’ve got his back, you see?” 

“So you’re doing this for Mammon, he just doesn’t know.” Lily confirmed. She understood a little better now, even though it was hard to believe that Mammon would care about her safety. “There’s a lot for you to learn little girl but all in good time.” Karasu walked close to her, invading her personal space again. “So don’t tell anyone about me, about this conversation...or the messages...No one will believe you anyway. If anyone else sees your phone, they won't see those messages. For your eyes only.” he laughed, tapping her between the eyes again. 

“What would happen if I did tell them?” Lily asked. Karasu narrowed his eyes at the girl. “Well for starters Mammon would throw a fit and it would start a huge fight, his brother’s don’t like me, they don’t trust me and I’m not allowed in the house technically...so if they knew you were fraternizing with me...then..” the bird demon made a slicing motion over his neck. “You might find yourself on tonight's dinner menu.” he laughed. 

Karasu spied the corner of Lily’s journal sticking out from the mattress and his eyes sparkled with mischief. Lily gasped and tried to snatch it away when she saw what the demon was doing but she was no match for the demon’s speed. Karasu swiped his hand over the journal and it lit up in a golden glow before he handed it back to Lily who was looking at him suspiciously. 

“There, a token of my goodwill.” he smiled. “If any of those pesky brothers find your journal now...they won’t be able to read it.” he tapped her again between the eyes. “For your eyes only.” Lily couldn’t help smiling a little bit too. 

“Okay little chickadee. Time to sneak me out of the house.” he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her door and peeked out, sensing that the coast was clear he made a beeline for the front door. Dragging Lily out onto the porch with him. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you little human, so do me a favor huh? Keep it interesting! I get bored easily ya know?” he grinned in that conspiratorial way again and suddenly pressed his lips against Lily's own. Her eyes widened and before she could protest the demon turned back into a crow and was flapping away as it cackled. Lily couldn’t be sure but she thought Karasu had said something along the lines of…”those fools will be so mad when they find out I stole her first kiss.”

“Oi!” Lily about jumped out of her skin when Mammon’s loud voice sounded behind her. She turned around and Mammon took one look at her threadbare nightgown, that had become too thin over the years and stretched too tightly across her bosom and turned a deep shade of red. “Wh-Whaddya doin’ out here at this hour dressed like that?!” he shouted. He was only wearing designer sweats and a tshirt himself having dressed in a hurry when he had sensed something off with his human. He pulled off his shirt and roughly pulled it over Lily's head, but the sight of the human in his shirt only made him blush more. Lily blinked at Mammon’s revealed torso and soon enough her face matched his as she tried to look at anything but him. “Get in your room before someone sees ya!” Mammon barked and pushed his human back to her room. 

Mammon crossed his arms. “Ya want to tell me what you were doing human?” he asked her again once they were inside. Lily wasn’t good at lying, she never felt the need to before but the figure of Mammon in front of her looking grumpy and the memory of Karasu’s warning had her pausing to think. She began to pull off Mammon’s t-shirt, “I was just getting some fresh air.” she said her voice muffled and face hidden behind his shirt. She tossed it too him and made a beeline for her closet, and then rushed into her bathroom after collecting her RAD uniform. 

“Uh huh. Sure.” Mammon said, pulling his shirt back on. Great, he groaned. Now his clothes smelled like human. Making sure Lily was still in the bathroom he pulled the fabric over his nose and inhaled her scent, there was that salt of the earth smell that all humans had and then sunshine with a hint of evergreen and...peaches. Mammon blushed and cursed himself as he swiped at some drool as he began salivating. What was he turning it to Beel? How embarrassing!

Mammon pounded on her bathroom door. “Don’t be late for breakfast, human.” he yelled before he left her room. There had been an unmistakable stench of HIM all over her room, what was that damnable pain in his ass up to now? He thought to himself. He hadn’t been surprised that the human lied to him, he could smell her fear and once again he wondered what that bird had said to her. 

Stomping into his room, Mammon flung open his one window and then turned around to search for his RAD uniform that was strewn here and there about his room. By the time he turned around, buttoning his shirt, Karasu was already lounging on his bed with a smile, looking more feline than avian.. 

“Get off of my bed ya damn pest!” Mammon shooed the demon off his bed and using his power forced Karasu to take his bird form once again. “RUDE!” Karasu squawked, ruffling his feathers as he perched on the hood of Mammon’s car and considered taking a shit there. As if sensing his thoughts, Mammon chased him off the car too until he perched on the windowsill. 

“What were you doing with my human?” Mammon demanded, his arms crossed. “Please put on some pants.” Karasu croaked, covering his face with a wing. Mammon rolled his eyes and looked around for his pants and belt. 

“Don’t lie to me either.” Mammon said, sticking a leg into his pants. “I smelt ya all over her room.” he accused. 

The crow seemed to shrug, “Just looking after your assets like always.” Karasu said and you could almost imagine the bird was pouting. Mammon rolled his eyes. “She’s just a plain ordinary human...she’s not special and she’s not an asset!” he argued. “So you just stay away from my human, ya got it?” 

The crow seemed to snicker, “I don’t know Master, you sound awfully possessive of her already.” he teased.

Mammon glared and then shrugged. “I’m the avatar of greed, we made a pact, she’s mine now.” he said, as if there were nothing more to it than that. 

“Hmm, if you insist then.” Karasu turned to take flight out the window when he swiveled his head back around, his beady eyes somehow seemed to dance with mirth. “But I did do a little reconnaissance and if you’re interested to know...her lips are very soft and...they taste like peaches…” he cackled and launched himself in the air not a second too late as Mammon sent a shoe flying out the window after the bird, cursing him when the bird successfully dodged his shoe and also because he realized he just lost the shoe he was planning on wearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed my little twist on "Karasu" here.


	7. The Mystery of the Attic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pacts, Angels and Mysteries oh my!

When Lily arrived in the dining room for breakfast, everyone was there except for Lucifer and Mammon. Asmodeus was in a fit of giggles as she sat and dished herself up the most edible looking foods. “Asmodeus keep your voice down. If Mammon hears you, he’ll get upset again, and we won’t hear the end of it.” Satan lectured while he spread something that looked like congealed blood over some toast. “Eh, he won’t be awake for a while, He’s really not a morning demon, you know? And anyway, how can you NOT laugh after what’s happened? I mean, this is Mammon, and yet a human was able to play him like a fiddle and force him into a pact.” Asmodeus replied. Lily didn’t correct them that Mammon was indeed up and about already, in fact, she wondered where he was. She watched as Satan’s face twitched, “Pff...heheheheh.”

“Hey, I hear you laughing, Satan! I know you think it’s funny, too!” Asmo smiled, pointing his finger at Satan. Beelzebub didn’t seem to be paying attention to anything except his food as usual. “mm, this is delicious. The meat is so tender..” Levi glanced up from his phone, “Beel calm down. You’re biting off chunks of your plate along with your food.” Lily glanced Beelzebub's way and was surprised to see that Levi’s warning was true. She couldn’t imagine what the digestive system of a demon was like to be able to eat chunks of ceramic plate…

“Anyway, I have to say I’m surprised. I never thought an average human like you would be able to make a pact with Mammon,” Asmo fluttered his pretty long eyelashes at Lily, “certainly not THIS fast. I guess they really did know what they were doing when they picked you for the exchange program, huh?” Lily wondered about that, how and why she was chosen? Finally she shrugged and after swallowing her food she responded. “I only followed Levi’s lead.” the demon in question, sitting next to her almost choked on his food from the mere passing of his name through her lips. 

Satan smiled that creepy smile of his at her, “There’s no need to be humble about it. We’re not upset. Honestly we think it’s pretty funny.”

Leviathan finally found his voice and spoke up, “All I know is that I finally got Mammon to give me back my money. So, I couldn’t ask for a better outcome! Epic win for Leviathan! I should’ve rounded up a random human and done this sooner! Now I’ll be able to buy the Blu-ray box set of Journey to the Devildom: The Tale of a Little She-Devil and her Reluctant Companion! The initial round of copies includes promotional tickets to a live event as a special bonus! That live event is going to be soooo epic!”

Asmo disregarded what Leviathan had said and smirked knowingly, “You know, I find it surprising enough that Lily managed to make a pact with Mammon...but what’s even more shocking is the team-up with Levi that helped make it happen. Don’t you think?” he asked conspiratorially. Levi choked on his drink and Satan grinned, “Yep, I never thought I’d see the day that a human won over Levi, but here we are.” he shrugged. 

Leviathan stood up suddenly, gripping the table. “Excuse me?! Don’t go getting the wrong idea. Nobody won me over! Our interests just happened to align, that’s all! The relationship was purely business! I mean, why would I want anything to do with some non-otaku normie of a human? I wouldn’t! I mean, I’m spoken for! I’m no cheater! M-M-My one true love is -”

“Cheeseburgers” Beel burped and Lily had to stifle a giggle. 

“No! That’s YOUR one true love, Beel!” Levi shouted, banging a hand on the table, making Lily jump. “Mm...I get hungry just thinking about them…” Beel said with closed eyes right before stuffing more breakfast into his mouth. 

Asmo ignored Levi’s outburst and continued, “You know, the way things are going, the rest of us might just find ourselves in a pact with Lily as well if we’re not careful. If you had your choice, which one of us would you forge a pact with next, Lily?”  The question had caught Lily off guard, she didn’t think she wanted to make anymore pacts with any more demons. “Oh..um..I don’t think -”

“Just pick! It’s all hypothetical anyway.” Asmo said with a flick of his wrist, interrupting her.  She looked around the table, Levi wouldn’t make eye contact with her, Satan scared her and she didn’t think much of the Avatar of Lust at this point. She was afraid Beel might accidentally or not so accidentally eat her up like they all threatened, she supposed if she was in a pact with Beel she could at least command him not to eat her.

“Well, I suppose..Beelzebub then.” she finally answered, everyone looked mildly surprised, Asmo pouted.

“uh-uh. No.” Beel shook his head, but then seemed to think of something, “Although, if you’d make sure I always had tons and tons of food - as much as I could eat - then I’d consider it.” Lily didn’t doubt him for one moment. 

Satan laughed, “….Beel. Have you been reaching over and swiping food off of Lily’s plate this whole time?” Lily looked down to find her plate empty. She shrugged, she hadn’t been that hungry anyways.

Asmodeus continued talking, while Satan put some more food on the human’s plate. Lily was surprised by the gesture and offered him a small smile in return while thinking that Asmodeus must really love the sound of his own voice. “You won’t be able to tame us as easily as you did Mammon, Lily. So get that out of your head right now. In fact, it’s quite offensive of you to think that we’re as stupid as that poor excuse of a demon.” Lily thought Asmo was being snarky with her because she hadn’t chosen him and didn’t say anything when Mammon walked into the dining room unheard behind him. “OW!” Asmodeus was shouting after Mammon struck him. “Why’d you hit me?! I can’t believe you actually STRUCK my beautiful, beautiful head! Not even Lucifer has ever done something like that! Why are you always getting so VIOLENT with me Mammon?!” the demon lamented as he tried to fix his hair. 

Mammon glowered at his younger brother, “That was for callin’ me a poor excuse for a demon, you peabrain! Actually, I oughta hit all of ya, the way you talk about me. Y’all think you’re so great.” he complained loudly. Satan shook his head with a frown, “It’s not that we think we’re so great…” Asmo nodded in agreement, “No, not at all. We just think you’re a complete and utter fool.” he laughed. “HEY, that’s even worse! Don’t treat me like I’m stupid!” he yelled and Lily couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Mammon. He was a good person..err demon. What? Where did that thought come from? She didn’t know these demons, could a demon be a good person?

“Serves you right, Mammon! Lololol” Levi chimed in, still feeling good after his victory. Mammon pushed his brother out of his chair and took the chair next to Lily in a huff. “Hey!” Levi complained but didn’t try to take his chair back. 

“I hate every last one of you. None of this would’ve happened to begin with if it weren't for that bastard Lucifer! It’s all because he took my credit card from me! Just snatched Goldie away - kidnapped her against her will!” Mammon continued to complain loudly. 

Levi plopped himself in another chair with a grimace, “Ugh, don’t talk about your credit card like it’s a person, it’s gross.” Asmo nodded in agreement, “Mmhm, it really is…”

“SHUT UP, both of ya!” Mammon growled, “ Also, I can’t believe that when he said he froze it. He meant that LITERALLY! Who sticks a credit card in the freezer?! What’s up with that!? Was it supposed to be some sorta dad joke?! Cause if so, it was awfully lame! Eh, guess maybe I should expected somethin’ like that from him. I mean, he may not be a dad, but he’s pretty old, isn’t he? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised he’s a fan of dad jokes. AHAHAHAHA!” Mammon slapped his own knee in amusement. Everyone except Mammon had realized that Lucifer had entered the room at that very moment. 

“HAHa! Man, I gotta stop laughin’ so hard. My stomach is hurtin’! But you gotta agree, Lucifer is pretty old, isn’t he?” he looked around to garner agreements from his brothers, usually Satan would at least of some snide remark against Lucifer. But the table was quiet until Lucifer spoke, 

**“You think?”**

“…. D’AAAAAAAH!” Mammon cried out when Lucifer hauled off and punched him again like Lily had seen in the assembly hall the first night she had come to the Devildom. “ ….Ow! Hey, what’s the big idea?! You didn’t have to hit me THAT hard!” he complained. 

“….You know, he’s so stupid that it’s almost sad.” Asmo loudly whispered to Satan with a look of mock pity. “Mmhm, I can’t believe he’s actually our brother, it’s almost like we’re being punished or something.” Satan added with a grin. Wow, Lily thought. Are all siblings like this or is this just because they are Demons? She wondered, having not ever had siblings of her own. 

“Hey, I heard that!” Mammo growled and looked around for some food but at this point Beel had eaten most of it. 

“I heard about what happened, Lily. Apparently you outfoxed a certain dimwit of a demon, and forged a pact with him.” Lucifer grinned at me as he sliced into an inedible looking apple that he had brought to the table with him. “Who’re you callin’ a dimwit?!” Mammon mumbled between bites. Lucifer ignored him, saying, “Your opponent may have been stupid, but even so, you’ve only just arrived. It’s a real accomplishment managing a feat like that in such a short span of time. Well done. I imagine Diavolo will be pleased as well. We continue to expect big things from you.” Lily felt strange receiving praise from Lucifer. She wasn’t sure why they were all so impressed, it was Leviathan who had found the card and come up with the whole plan, she wouldn’t have even tried to get a pact with any of them if it were not for him. 

Mammon suddenly stood and made to leave, “….Hey, human! C’mon, time to get going. Don’t just sit there with your head in the clouds. It’s time for class! So, let’s go!” Mammon barely let Lily grab her book bag before he was dragging her out of the house, Lily couldn’t help but look in the trees for Karasu as they walked to the RAD campuses. It didn’t take long before Mammon began complaining again, “Seriously, what’s with that guy? He can’t go a single minute without bringin’ up Diavolo. It’s always Diavolo this, Diavolo that. If Diavolo told you to go jump off a cliff to your death, would ya do thAT too, Lucifer?! Huh?!....Ya know what? Knowin’ him, he probably would. Anyway, ever since you got here, human, it’s been nothin’ but one bad thing after another for me. So, let’s get somethin’ straight, I didn’t make this pact ‘cause I wanted to, and I ain’t happy about it! Everything I did, I did for my credit card - for my baby Goldie! If you end up gettin’ yourself eaten by some demon here at RAD, don’t blame me, ‘cause I don’t give a damn. You got that?! Don’t go thinkin’ you’re all great and stuff just ‘cause you managed to make some stupid pact, human!”

Lily bit her lip, she couldn’t help but feel a sting from his words. She couldn’t shake this feeling around him and ever since they had made their pact, it had become stronger, this feeling of dejavu or perhaps belonging? 

“Mammon I have a name too.” she said softly.

Mammon turned on her and growled, “Shut your mouth! I’ll call you what I damn well please! You don’t deserve to have me call you by your real name, human! You’re nothin’ but a lowly human, Don’t think you can go givin’ orders to ME! ‘Cause I’ll eat ya, I swear! Startin’ from the head and workin’ my way down! Is that what ya want?!” Lily had dealt with bullies before but her bullies had never been powerful demons, she found herself backing away from Mammon until her back hit a tree and Mammon smirked. “Eh? What’s wrong? Am I that intimidating? Do I frighten you? Then listen...if you stop talkin’ back and just do what I tell ya, then things won’t be so bad for --” Mammon had begun to lean over Lily and she threw up her hands to ward him off, “Stop it!” she spoke loudly, almost a shout to her and she ducked away from the Demon as he suddenly seemed stuck in place. 

“Wh…! Wh-what’s goin’ on?! I-I can’t move….! Wh-What’d you do to me?! Is this some kind of magic?! Listen up, h..hu..huma….LILY! What the...dammit! Don’t tell me this is all ‘cause of the pact?! Now you listen to me! You may control my body, but not my mind! I’m my own boss, and I always will be! Don’t you ever forget that! Huma..Lily...Lily, my boss! No, Your Majesty LILY…!” Mammon growled in frustration as he started saying things he didn’t want to say. Lily had never been an aggressive or forceful purpose but these Demons were wild and unruly, she’d have to learn how to take charge of her situation if she wanted to survive this. 

“Come along Mammon.” she sighed and began walking towards the RAD campuses again. Mammon tried to resist just for the sake of being stubborn but his legs moved on their own accord as he followed her to RAD. As soon as they had entered the building her command over him seemed to vanish and Mammon took the opportunity to escape. Finding herself alone once more, she made her way to her first class. She was early and the demons there immediately began gossiping as soon as they saw her. 

“Huh. Whenever you make an important announcement, the demons here couldn’t care less. But rumors, they really do spread like wildfire. Just when I thought the uproar about the new exchange student from the human world had started to subside some, now they’re all freaking out about this.” Lily looked up to see Lord Diavolo, Lucifer and another Demon who looked vaguely family enter the classroom. 

“Come now, don’t say that, Barbatos. Actually, I’d say that all this gossip is a good thing. It means that everyone will be watching this human, which makes it hard for any demon to go after Lily’s soul when no one is looking.” Lord Diavolo said in his usual jovial way. 

Lucifer frowned however, “Yes. Since Mammon’s not doing a very good job as a guardian. I told him he was to look after Lily, but he’s off somewhere shirking his responsibilities. Though I figured this would happen.” he admitted. Lily wondered why she would put Mammon in charge of her when everyone she’d met so far acted like Mammon was the most unreliable demon around. 

Diavolo looked at Lily with a smile, “I must say, I can’t believe you managed to forge a pact with Mammon, Lily. That’s no small feat. And what’s more, you did it in such a short time.” 

“I suppose it stands as proof that you chose well to bring this human here, Lord Diavolo.” the other demon said. 

“Umm, who are you?” Lily asked, hoping she didn’t sound too rude. 

The Demon with the stylish hair looked her in the eyes and she felt like he could see straight into her soul with those eyes, she was nearly mesmerized by them and startled a bit when he spoke, “...Ah, yes, pardon me. I suppose we haven’t met before, have we? My name is Barbatos. I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I have the honor of serving as steward to Lord Diavolo. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“You were there that night, weren’t you?” Lily asked, trying to place the familiar looking demon. “That’s right.” Barbatos nodded with a smile. “I’m the one who summoned you and the one who cleaned up the muck off your shoes.”

“Barbatos here is a smart and talented individual, so much so that I wish I could trade a certain idiot brother of mine for him instead.” Lucifer said ruefully causing Barbatos to chuckle, “Well, as for your brother, in the human world, it is sometimes said that a truly wise man does not flaunt his talents. He keeps them secret.” Lily couldn’t help but think of Karusu when she heard that. 

”Yes, but then again, an incompetent fool doesn’t actually have any talents to begin with.” Lucifer said with a shrug. “Well, I’ve heard it said that the most thick-headed child is always the cutest.” Diavolo chimed in with a mischievous look. Lucifer gave him the most dour look in return, “....Stop it, Diavolo. It’s troublesome enough having him as my younger brother. But my child? Him? I don’t even want to think about it.” he grimaced. 

It was then that two radiant figures entered the classroom, they were dressed in much different garb than the demons and Lily felt instantly at peace with them around her. One of them was a tall dark androgynous looking man with the most soulful eyes she’d ever seen. The other was short and cute, very childlike.

“Ah, but I notice that you didn’t deny the part about him being cute, did you? If I might offer my own opinion, out of you seven brothers, you’re without a doubt the most troublesome, Lucifer.” the tall dark and handsome one said. 

“Is that meant as a compliment, Simeon?” Lucifer asked dryly. 

“Pff, of course not! Duh! That was a put-down! An insult! He’s taunting you!” the little one said, his face going red with anger. 

“Ah, I see you’ve brought your chihuahua along with you.” Lucifer smiled down at the boy. 

“I am NOT a chihuahua! How many times do I have to tell you that, demon?!” the little one shouted but this did not deter Lucifer from teasing the boy. “Well, what do you expect? I am a demon, after all. Now then, stop yipping at me. C’mere boy...shake! Who’s a good boy?” he continued his taunt. Lily had never seen Lucifer act so playful even if he was being a bit mean at the same time. 

“Quit it! Don’t you make fun of me! And don’t tell me to shake! I’m not a dog!” the boy stomped his foot and Diavolo chose to intercede then, “Allow me to introduce you, Lily. This is Simeon. He’s an exchange student from the Celestial Realm. Which is to say, he’s an angel.” Lily blinked widely at them, wow, these were the angels? Lily had to fight the urge to jump onto these two and beg them to save her and ask them about her parents, they must have answeres to her questions but she should wait until the Demons were gone. 

“Well, hello, Lily. I’ve heard a lot of rumors!” the one called Simeon said with a kindly smile. 

“And this is Luke. Let’s see, you’re a chihuahua, was it? Or are you an angel?” Diavolo laughed, causing the poor boy to turn red again. “Wh…! Diavolo, now you’re getting in on the act, too?! I am NOT a chihuahua! I’m an angel! Listen up! As you can probably tell, I’m a low-ranking angel. BUT I’ll have you know that in the Celestial Realm I report directly to Michael the Archangel, as --” Simeon placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “Luke, calm down. You need to learn not to make such a huge fuss about everything.”

“But simeon…!” Luke protested. “He’s right. That’s exactly why people call you a chihuahua, you know?” Lucifer said with a laugh. But Luke looked unimpressed, “Usually the only one who calls me chihuahua is YOU, Lucifer!”

“It’s nearly time for the first bell to sound.” Barbatos interrupted. Everyone bid their farewells and Lily felt disappointed that she didn’t get to spend more time with the angels. 

“Hey.” Lily was surprised to look up from her desk to see that little Luke had not gone with the others. “...Never trust a demon. Especially when that demon is Lucifer. Listen to me. He’s a monster and a brute. He’s uncivilized, immoral, and...and also…”

“And also a sadist?” Lily supplied helpfully. 

“Yes, exactly! He’s the most sadistic of sadists!.....I was against this from the beginning. What are they thinking, bringing humans to the Devildom as exchange students...So, you’ve been warned. You get what I’m saying, right? Okay.” Luke looked around and seemed to feel better after getting that off his chest. “Just find Simeon and I if you ever need help.” he told her before leaving. 

Hours later Lily found herself alone in her room and decided to take out her journal. 

  
  


**Lily’s Daily Journal - Day 4**

_ The past few days I’ve been attending orientation classes at RAD, the Royal Academy of Diavolo. I guess this prince founded this school a long time ago. It makes my head spin to think of how old some of these creatures..beings..are. Now that the angels have arrived, we will start our real classes tomorrow together. Angels..I still can barely believe it. I want to ask them so many questions. I met another...peculiar person today. His name is Karasu, he can take the form of a crow or a man, well a demon with the appearance of a man anyways. He told me that Mammon is his master and he said he opened my third eye and that he enchanted this journal so that no one except me could read it. I have no way of knowing if that is true...maybe I should test the validity of this magic tomorrow before I write down anything too personal... _

  
  


Once Lily had finished writing in her journal she got ready for bed. Minutes and then hours ticked by as she tossed and turned and thought on all the things that had happened to her since she’d left Jim’s gas station. She couldn’t help but think about Beelzebub’s strange reaction to her asking about the seventh brother. It was then that she thought she heard a voice. Becoming still, she listened. She was still getting used to the big house and of course could not forget what Lucifer had said about it being haunted. If Demon’s existed then why not ghosts and anything else? Thinking that she’d only heard the wind or the house settling in its old bones, she turned once more and closed her eyes until she heard the voice again, this time she clearly heard the world “help.” Something stirred in her chest like anxiety and her heart rate picked up. Maybe she was hearing things but she couldn't ignore a cry for help. Climbing out of bed she pulled on her thick winter coat since she had no robe and quietly padded out of her room. 

Old gas lights lit the hallways as she climbed the stairs. “Hello?” she whispered but no one answered her back. Lily felt an inexplicable pull that kept her feet moving down the hallway and up another set of stairs. The sound of whispers drifted down from the unknown part of the house, Lily thought to herself that as soon as she had some free time she should explore the big house. She shivered again at the thought of ghosts drifting through rooms and hallways. 

"Lily. Why are you out of bed?” Lucifer’s cold voice had her nearly jumping out of her skin as he suddenly appeared on the landing before her, cutting off her ascent. “You’ll go no farther...that’s not a place for humans. It’s dangerous. Go back to your room.”

Lily had the distinct suspicion that there was something in the attic that Lucifer didn’t want her to know about. She peered past him up the stairs, something was still tugging and pushing at her,  _ go up the stairs Lily. _ ..it seemed to whisper to her. “But..I thought I heard someone calling for help.” she protested. 

“Nonsense.” Lucifer said with a frown and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her about easily and nudged her towards the set of stairs going down. “That isn’t a place humans should enter. This is the Devildom. There are certain rules that must be followed here. Also, my word is law to you. You can’t defy me. ...Now then, go on. Back to your room.” he demanded and followed closely behind as Lily slowly made her way down the stairs, only risking one glance back. Lucifer stood at the top of the stairs of the second floor with folded arms and watched until she slipped from view and he was sure he heard the click of Lily’s door closing shut behind her. When she was gone he let loose a sigh and rubbed his temples and wondered if Lord Diavolo was really out to kill him this time around.


	8. The Mysteries Continue

“I’ve been waiting for this day for so, so long...I’ve dreamed of this so many times I can’t even count.”

Asmo stopped in his tracks as he heard Mammon’s voice. He grabbed his brother’s sleeve and motioned for him to be quiet and follow him. “Did Mammon just drag Lily into that classroom?” he whispered to Satan. 

“All this time we’ve been apart, I’ve never stopped thinkin’ about you. You’ve really got me wrapped around your finger, ya know that? I thought I was strong, but I just can’t resist you, no matter how hard I try.”

Asmo had to stifle a gasp and he whispered to Satan again, “Is that idiot confessing to that human?!?” he could barely keep his voice at a whisper and Satan tried to pretend he wasn’t interested at all as he glared at Asmo. 

“I never thought I’d see the day when anyone could do this to me...I’ve fallen so hard for you. I hope you knew what you were doing when you cast this spell on me, because I’m yours now, and there’s no going back.”

“Wow,” Satan said, “I never thought I’d hear those words come out of Mammon’s mouth.” he admitted. 

  
  


“Oh credit card...CREDIT CARD, BABY…! I MISSED YOU SO SO SO MUCH…! And now you’ve finally come back to me! I was so worried….Ya don’t even know. Did that bastard Lucifer mistreat you? To think he went and stuck you in the freezer - the freezer! You must’ve been so cold, so lonely, so sad...Oh you poor, poor baby! I wuv you so much! You’re back here with me now, safe and sound. So don’t you worry, ‘case I’m going to treat ya right, Goldie. We’re gonna be so, so happy together, you’ll see! We’ll shop together and visit ATMs Together. We’ll do it over and over and over until you’re completely maxed out…!”

Asmo and Satan both exchanged a look when they realized the idiot was talking to his credit card. “I should have known!” Asmo said, throwing up his hands and making no efforts to be quiet any longer. “I can’t believe I let you waste my time this way.” Satan accused as they moved on towards their respective classes. 

“What is it, human? You look like you want to say something. Go on, whatever it is, say it, because I’m in such an incredible good mood right now. I’d even be willing to answer a question for you, depending on what it is.” Mammon said, smiling at his human who was staring at him right now with those large blinking eyes of hers. 

Lily blinked and shrugged. “...I’ve never seen someone in love before.” she responded, wondering if it was just an Avatar of Greed thing or if it was common for Demon’s to fall in love with non-sentient objects?

“Of course I am...whaddya expect?! There are two things in this universe I love more than anything else. Money, and my sweet baby Goldie. I mean, the way it feels when I touch her...I can’t even explain it! Every time I take her out of my wallet, I get goosebumps.” Mammon informed her. 

“What will you even spend all that money on?” Lily asked the Demon. She hadn’t grown up poor but her father had never believed in living indulgent or excessively. They had what they needed and nothing more. Lily had tried to live that way too after he was gone, especially considering she had a fixed amount of money and once it was gone, it was gone. They way the brother’s lived seemed opulent to her. 

“Hey, whoa...wait a minute. Human, don’t tell me ya actually think that...Oh, I don’t believe this…!” Mammon lamented loudly. “You actually think I spend all that money on stuff for myself? Buying the newest model U-Pad, the latest Versucci jacket...Well, you’ve got it wrong, human! Just shows how shallow you are!” Lily wondered what Mammon was going on about now. Mammon and Asmodeus sure do like to talk she had noticed. They both seemed to enjoy living life in the spotlight. Lily had always been content to watch from the sidelines. “Now, you sit yourself down right there and listen. Actually, don’t sit, kneel. You know what? Don’t kneel, prostrate yourself. On the floor with ya! It’s time you found out exactly how magnanimous I can be. Listen and learn. So, there’s this girl I met once in the human world. And when I say girl, I mean little girl. She’s only nine years old. But ever since the day she was born, she’s been stuck in a bed. You see, she ain’t well. It’s a serious, long-term sorta situation. She needs surgery, but she ain’t got the money for it and she ain’t got family to look after her, either. At this rate, all she can do is wait for death to come.So I got to thinkin’..I want to do whatever I can to help her. I know that’s not a very me thing to think, but it’s true. Still, the fact is that I'm a demon. I can’t very well be caught actin’ like an angel, ya know? So, I sent her all sorts of stuff. And I did it anonymously, so no one would know it was me.”

Lily tried not to laugh until she noticed that Mammon was acting serious for once. She could barely believe the story he had just spun. “So what did you give her, the latest U-pad?” Lily asked. 

“Y-Yeah, that’s right, because that’s what she said she wanted, okay? You got a problem with that? Life in the hospital is boring. She needs gadgets like that to keep her occupied. You humans have a word for this sorta thing, right? An “anonymous angel” that’s what I am. Though I guess in my case I’m actually an anonymous devil, huh? So NOW you get it, don’t you? You understand what a great guy I am.” 

Lily didn’t understand why Mammon was trying to convince her that he was a great guy when usually he was reminding her that he was a Demon and could end up on the lunch menu. Honestly, she could barely keep up with him and his shifting moods one hour to the next. 

“Well if that’s true, then I guess I’ve misjudged you.” Lily told him. 

“Of course it’s true! Everyone’s always talking about what a scumbag I am, but I’m not as scummy as they make me out to be. That’s all I’m sayin’” he shrugged. 

“But Mammon, would it not have been more helpful if you’d just paid for her treatment or something like that?” Lily asked. 

Mammon was about to protest again when Levi showed up. “You’re such a liar Mammon.” he scoffed. Mammon jumped, caught off guard by one of his brother’s again. “D’AAAH! Hey, what’s the big idea?! Don’t sneak up behind me like that!”

Levi crossed his arms and scowled, “Well, I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t such a liar. I have to say, I’m impressed. That was quite a story. Lying really comes naturally to you, doesn’t it Mammon?” Mammon feigned offence, “I’m not lying! It’s the truth!”

But Leviathan was not backing down, “Oh yes you are. You can’t fool me. I know about what happened, Mammon. I know that ten witches were fighting over who got to make a pact with you. So, Lucifer persuaded them to cut you into ten pieces and divide you amongst themselves. He planted the idea by making it appear in the tea leaves when they were doing their divination.”  Whoa, that sounded very cruel, Lily thought to herself. Demons, she reminded herself, the pretty outsides just hide the violent insidious nature inside. Still, it was hard to remember when half the time they acted like a houseful of overgrown teenage boys. 

“HEY! Who told you about that?! Also, there weren’t ten witches! There were just three! Three witches were pressuring me for a pact! Get it right!” Mammon basically admitted his lie while correcting Levi and all Lily could do was shake her head as she buried her face in her hands. 

“Wait thought...You’re telling me it was LUCIFER who gave them the idea to chop me up like that?!” Mammon finally shouted, having figured out the important piece of what Levi had said. Levi of course ignored his outburst, “Anyway Mammon, somehow you managed to wiggle your way out of making a pact with them, but I know they’re still the boss of you. The truth is that those three witches still have you under their thumb. They make you buy things for them, don’t they? They use you as their own personal piggy bank.” Levi smirked wickedly. 

“Wha? That’s crazy. Just who do you think you’re talkin’ to? I’m Mammon, the one and only Avatar of Greed. You think someone’s using ME to buy them stuff? As if I’d ever let some puny witches tell me what to do! Pff, don’t make me laugh! In fact, you could say they’re the ones serving me, not the other way around - Hold on. Ugh..I was just getting to the good part! Whoever this is, they’ve got a lotta nerve interrup - “ Mammon suddenly went pale when he picked up his ringing D.D.D. and looked at the caller ID.

Levi and I both stared at Mammon blankly, waiting for him to take the call. “You know your phone’s ringing Mammon. Aren’t you going to answer it?” Leviathan finally said. 

“Sh-shut up, Levi! O-of course I’m gonna answer it!” Mammon snapped before picking up the call. “Um, hello?...Yeah, it’s me….Oh right...sorry. I mean, yes, it’s me. It’s Mammon…..hm? You want me to come to the club? Right now? In a limousine?...Hold on a second. There’s no way I’ll be able to find a limousine on such short notice…’Just such up and do it?’....Come on, it’s straight-up impossible. I need more time to--....R-right! Understood! I’ll be there in ten minutes...I promise! Just sit tight, okay?...I mean, please wait there for me...if you would be so kind..ma’am!....”  Lily stared in shock, she would have thought Lucifer was on the other line if Mammon hadn’t used the word “ma’am.”

Leviathan crossed his arms with a smug look on his face, ”...Mammon. Who was that on the phone?” Lily was impressed by the myriad of expressions that crossed Mammon’s face as he failed to answer. “That was the witches just now, wasn’t it Mammon?” he pressed further. 

“Ugh, I’ve had it with this. I mean, what’s WRONG with them?! How long are they planning on usin’ me as their slave?! You know somethin’? Women are scary! Real scary!!” Mammon finally shouted, giving up on trying to cover this one up. Lily almost felt sorry for him. 

Leviathan just shook his head, “Well, that settles it. I’m definitely sticking with two-dimensional girls.” Lily stifled a giggle but stopped short when Levi threw a nasty glare her way before stomping off. 

As Mammon watched Levi go, a brilliant idea came to him. “Oi! Human! You can help me.” he shouted, looking very pleased with himself. 

“How can I help you?” Lily asked, confused, cocking her head to the side. 

“What are ya an idiot!? Come on, follow along, sheesh! Do I have to spell it out for ya? If you use your pact to command me not to go to those witches then I have no choice to stay.” he grinned smugly. “Any command you give me will superseded theirs because I don’t hve proper pacts with them.” 

Now Lily had always had a kind and helpful spirit by nature. If Mammon had rather said, “Lily please help me, save me from these witches by commanding me to not to go.” then Lily would have been happy to help. After all, she didn’t believe it was right for anyone to take advantage of another, even if they were a greedy Demon. But Mammon had been rude, as usual and Lily had to stop and think for a moment.

_ If I help him when he treats me this way...then he’ll never learn to respect me. He doesn’t need to like me but I can’t let him bully me and talk to me however he wants.  _ Lily had thought to herself, her decision made. 

“No Mammon, I don’t think I will help you.” Lily said, firmly but not unkindly. The smug look dropped off of Mammon’s face and he lowered his sunglasses to look at her with surprise. 

“NO?! Whaddya mean NO?!” Mammon shouted. “Do ya never learn or what?! How many times do I gotta explain these things to you!? I’m the GREAT MAMMON, I’m the DEMON! You’re the puny human -”

“Please be quiet Mammon.” Lily sighed with a frown. “Maybe you’re the one who needs to learn some manners if you want help from me in the future. Why don’t you go to class and think about that?” Lily said and there was power in what she said as Mammon’s voice was silent and he stalked off against his will to his own classroom. Lily sighed sadly. Her life had become so strange and twisted up in only a few short days. Lily had lived with her father for so any years, isolated and often lonely but she had still been happy and content with her life. Then her father left one day and never came back, was that the moment that led her down the path that brought her here to the Devildom? She had to find out. She had gone from living in the woods all alone and now she lived in a house full of Demons and went to an Academy full of both horrors and wonders. She’d never lived around so many people in her life, yet she had never felt more alone. She felt surrounded by secrets, those of her own and those around her. 

  
  


**That evening in the House of Lamentation…**

  
  


Karasu had told Lily that he had enchanted her journal so that none of the demon’s she lived with could read it. A very useful gift if it was true, so she devised a way to test it. Lily doubted that a Demon could resist easy temptation, but she also had to make sure that they didn’t lie about not seeing what’s in her journal if they did look. 

This is why Lily took the risk of scribbling unkind things in her journal in plain sight of all the demon brothers. She’d noticed that they often relaxed in the common lounge room after dinner while she usually escaped to her room. Tonight she sat at one of the tables, ignoring the rest of them and writing in her journal. 

As Lily had suspected, the fact that she was absorbed in something and ignoring all the demons, instantly caught their attention although they too pretended not to notice. Lily was busy writing childish things in the journal, such as “Asmodeus is the ugliest demon alive.” all barbs meant to garner an instant reaction. Eventually she pushed the book aside and opened another notebook and began studying for her classes in earnest. When she began to feel sleepy she yawned, collected all her things except her journal and left the room. 

Asmodeus was the first to go over to the table and snatch up the journal. “Oooo this looks like a Diary!” he crooned.

“Put it down Asmo.” Satan lectured him, looking up from a book while Lucifer ignored them all. “I wonder lovely things she’s written about me in here, maybe even written down some spicy dreams…” he waggled his brows and made a lewd gesture. Satan grimaced and shook his head. Mammon was up in an instant, snatching the journal from Asmodeus. “She ain’t written nothing like that! ….but...I wonder if she’s wrote anything about me? Probably gushing about how I’m the best guardian and she’s so lucky to be in a pact with me.” he beamed as he thought about it. 

Leviathan snorted, “Yeah right! She probably wrote about how much she regrets it and what a noob you are.” Mammon glared at his brother, “Shaddap!” he growled and shoved the journal back into Asmodeus’s hands, secretly not wanting to find out if that was true. Asmo gleefully flipped through the pages until he frowned. “Huh? How boring!” he lamented. 

“Why?! What’s it say?!” Mammon asked. Asmo rolled his eyes. “Nothing at all! It’s empty.” he pouted. “I guess this wasn’t what she was writing in earlier.” he sighed, feeling bored. “Well,” he sniffed. “I guess I should retire for the evening and get my beauty sleep.” he said as he sauntered out of the room. 

“Lily sweetie pie,” Asmodeus’s voice floated through Lily’s door like a musical note. “I hope you’re not compromised because I’m coming in!” he called as he opened the door and barged in. He rolled his eyes when he found Lily still fully dressed, organizing her textbooks and notes for the next days classes. Seriously this human was sooo boring, the least she could do is entertain me! Asmodeus thought to himself. 

“You left this in the common room, you should be more careful with your belongings. That scumbag Mammon totally looked through this hoping to find some juicy gossip!” he told her, sounding scandalized. “Good thing for you, you haven’t written in it yet!.”

“Oh! Thank you.” she smiled and took back her journal from his outstretched hand. “I thought I did write in this…” she said looking confused. She thumbed through some pages, purposely keeping it open on the page where she’d insulted Asmodeus and holding it in a way where he could see everything. “Hm.” she shrugged and looked at her shelf and then smiled, Oh I guess I grabbed the wrong journal earlier, I haven’t started this one yet.”

Asmo’s eyes couldn’t help but flit to the shelf where she was looking, but he was bored of this idea now. Besides, he doubted this innocent little lamb really had anything interesting to say anyways. Instead he came up with better ideas on how to entertain himself. 

"I was just about to go take a bath, you haven't seen my bath yet have you?” Asmo said with a beautiful smile. “Oh you’ll love it! It’s every girl's dream!” he sighed, closing his eyes. 

“Oh? How’s that?” Lily wondered, there was only a shower in the first floor bathroom and she’d never risked trying to use the upstairs bathroom that was in constant use by the majority of the brothers. She’d only ever had a small modest bathtub at the cabin, but she’d read about jetted tubs and roman baths and was curious as to what made Asmo’s bath so good. 

“Why don’t you come join me? We can bathe together.” Asmo said with a seductive smile. Lily blushed. “Oh I couldn’t!” she refused and took a step back from him with her journal clutched to her chest. 

“Of course you can!” Asmo smiled, he was so beautiful and seemed so friendly right now, Lily imagined it would be easy to let her guard down around him. “I’m inviting you, so there’s no problem.” he said, as if that was her concern.

“Oh...well..um...it’s not really appropriate...for you -” Lily kept taking small steps back as she stumbled over her words feeling embarrassed. “ and me...together.” Asmodeus laughed, finally feeling a bit amused, he wondered just how far he could push it. “Oh I see, I forget how things are different in the human realm compared to Devildom customs.” he nodded as if suddenly understanding her. “In the Devildom its perfectly natural for friends and housemates to bath together. I bath with my brothers all the time and if we had a cute little sister like you,” he ruffled her hair, “she’d bathe with us too!”

Lily sighed in audible relief. “Oh is that all?” she asked, still a bit suspicious. “Of course!” he gasped, putting a hand to his heart. “I didn’t mean anything untoward I promise! You just look like you could use a nice warm bath, that’s all.” he smiled. 

“Oh well..you are the Avatar of Lust...but I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.” Lily said. Asmo pouted sadly, “Yes I understand.” he said sadly, “I’m often misunderstood because of that, it makes things awfully hard.” he tried not to smirk at his own innuendo. 

“Oh! Yes, I see. That would be frustrating...yes. I am sorry.” Lily said sincerely and patted Asmo on the arm in a friendly way. “Um not tonight...but maybe another time?” she said, feeling very brave to do so. Lily was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t see Asmodeus’s surprise look at her gesture. 

“Well goodnight little lamb.” Asmo said cheerily and left her room. Outside her room he rolled his eyes, “It’ll be a miracle if Lucifer manages to keep that human alive.” he muttered. 

Lily still felt a bit flustered about Asmodeus inviting her to bathe with him, of all the things! She still didn’t know what to trust and what not to trust when it came to these Demons. Feeling like she needed to get some thoughts out of her head she opened the journal. At least now she knew that Karasu had not been lying. 

**Lily’s Daily Journal - Day 5**

_ Karasu wasn’t lying, he really did enchant this journal, but I should still be careful. I know how Alice must have felt when she fell down the rabbit hole. I too feel like I’m surrounded by the mad in a curious and curiouser world. Why am I here? What are Lord Diavolo’s real intentions? Can a demon prince really have such..pure intentions? Did my father find this place? Did he ever find the answers he was looking for? Why doesn’t Lucifer want me to go into the attic? Is there really something dangerous up there or is he hiding something? I can’t help but feel the need to answer these questions. And also...why do I not feel more afraid? Why is there always this feeling around me...like a warm blanket...something familiar that comforts me…? I’m so confused. _

_ Asmodeus returned my journal. He invited me to take a bath with him, it was so embarrassing! He said it's a normal custom here and not anything weird, I feel bad if that is true but he is the Avatar of Lust, wouldn’t I be foolish to trust him??? Even if that’s true, I’ve never bathed with anyone before...I am interested in seeing how lavish his bathroom is though, Leviathan sounded quite jealous of it.  _

Lily closed the journal and made ready for bed, but it was another fitful night with lots of tossing and turning. Even with the journal, she could not empty her mind of all the thoughts running through it. She was beginning to think she had an obsession with that Attic, it was all she could think about. In the dead of night she decided to try her luck again, Lucifer had to be sleeping at this hour right?

However, her luck was not good, in fact, it felt suspiciously as if Lucifer anticipated her arrival. “What’s going on, Lily? Out for a stroll? I keep running into you here, don’t I? It seems you are really curious about what’s at the top of this staircase. Unless I’m mistaken, I believe I told you that it’s not a place humans have any business going. If you can’t sleep, perhaps I should make you some tea? Something that will help you have a good night's sleep. You should probably know that it’s a bit too effective on humans, to the point that you may find that you never wake up again. You get what I’m saying here, right?” 

Lily listened patiently to Lucifer’s lecture, again, thinking that Demons did love to hear themselves speak. He made it sound as if he had caught her sneaking up here every night, so dramatic. 

“Yes, sir.” Lily responded, when he had finished. Lucifer nodded, apparently satisfied with her response. “Good. Go back to your room. Good night, Lily.”


	9. History, shopping and more Mystery.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> History of the Devildom 101, mysterious bank accounts and shopping trips with the Avatar of Lust.

The next morning everyone was at the table for breakfast and as soon as Lily sat down Lucifer was speaking to her. “Lily. Now that you’ve had a few days to adjust I’m going to take you into town after your classes today. Once I’ve concluded my business with you, Asmodeus is going to take you clothes shopping.”

Lily blushed. “Thank you but I don’t need to go shopping.” she protested. “I don’t have much money...I’m saving it and...do you take human realm currency here?” she asked. 

Asmodeus, coughed, or maybe he choked on his food and muttered. “Yes you do. Desperately.” 

“Shopping! Alright!” Mammon rubbed his hands together, “How much are we talkin’ Lucifer? How much of an allowance are ya given’ her?” Mammon was already thinking about how he’d be spending that money on himself, after he let her get a few items for herself, he was a generous guardian after all. 

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at his brother before turning back to Lily. “Shut up. Mammon. You’re not going.”

“Wha? Why not! It’s my job to protect her ain’t it! You think Asmo can do the job?!” his voice was slowly raising. “I’m the one who’s got a pact with her, I should be the one to take her!”

“Oh?” Lucifer asked. “I thought you’d be thanking me for giving you a break from your duties? No? You haven’t fallen for this human have you?” the other brother’s at the table snickered. 

“Wh-what are ya trying to say now?! I could care less about that human! I just wanted to make her buy me stuff!” he protested. Lucifer raised a brow and Mammon knew his mistake at once and his brothers laughed openly at him. “Y'all are jerks.” Mammon grumbled.

Turning his attention back to Lily, Lucifer said. “You do need new clothes, you barely own anything and your clothes are worn and not sufficient for your stay. Lord Diavolo has been generous in allowing you and the other exchange students a stipend, extra generous in your case since you had no previous knowledge of this realm and no way to prepare for this visit. It is our duty to see that you survive the year and that includes not catching a cold from being ill dressed.” Lucifer lectured. “Do you understand?”

Lily nodded, feeling embarrassed. “Yes sir.” 

Satan snorted. “Oh look at that, Lucifer’s found himself another obedient pet.” but Lucifer only ignored him which seemed to make Satan angry, at least that was what Lily assumed from the frightening look on his face. 

The others were quick to leave after finishing their meals, leaving Mammon alone to walk with Lily to RAD. Once again taking in her surroundings, Lily wasn’t really listening to Mammon as he complained. 

“The others sure did rush off and left me to look after ya on my own, the punks. Dammit, They’re all rotten, every last one of ‘em. This all comes back to Lucifer! Getting stuck having to look after a human, ending up in a pact, everything bad is his fault! The way Levi’s haircut is so lame, and Satan’s horns are so stupid-lookin’ and Lucifer’s feet are so putrid, all of it is Lucifer’s fault!...Not that I’ve ever actually smelled his feet, but still!”

“Mammon?” Lily asked, “What’s at the top of the stairs?”

“HEY I TOLD YOU TO LISTEN to me when I’m TALKIN’ to you! I was tryin’ to tell you about Lucifer’s fe-....wait, what stairs? Are you talkin’ about the stairs that lead up into the attic? Oh man, there you go again, stickin’ your nose where it doesn’t belong…” 

Mammon shook his head at Lily and halted their walk, folding his arms as he assessed the human. “Now listen, do you know the secret to getting people to tell you stuff? Go ahead, tell me.”

Lily blinked, _ He’s the Avatar of Greed so his answer would be money, bribes...but that’s not what I think. _ .Lily thought to herself as she decided on how she would answer him. 

“Well proper manners and a convincing argument I suppose…” Lily finally answered.

“Sure, I guess that’s important too. And actually, if ya know that, you oughta show me more respect! Now listen, manners are important, sure. But there’s somethin’ even MORE important, isn’t there? I’m talking about money! Sweet, sweet money! That’s what the world revolves around..money, money, and more money!” Mammon crooned.  Lily could only wait for him to finish as she tried not to giggle at his predictability. 

“Wait a second...Uh-oh, I know what this is about! You tried to climb those stairs, but Lucifer stopped you, right? That’s totally it, isn’t it?” Mammon didn’t give Lily a chance to answer when he charged ahead with his verbal tirade. “Well, then there’s something you really need to get straight now. If you think you can just offer Mammon here a little bit of money and he’ll spill the beans, you’re dead wrong. I mean, pretend I told you somethin’ I shouldn’t Lucifer would beat me half to death. Actually, I’d be lucky if that’s all he did. If I WEREN’T lucky, he’d have me eliminated. It’d take a good two hundred million years to recover from that. Still, if you’re bound and determined to buy this information off of me...Then you’ll have to offer me, let’s see...How about the monetary equivalent of the world's total oil production? Two hundred million years worth. That might do it. In other words, I ain’t gonna tell ya. Is that clear enough for ya, blockhead?” 

Mammon shook his head as he tsk’d at the stupidity of this human in front of him. How was he expected to keep a human like her alive? Lucifer was always setting him up for failure. He waited for the human to argue but she only shrugged and turned to keep walking towards campus. 

“I understand Mammon. Lucifer scares me too.” Lily said. Now normally Lily wasn’t a manipulative person but Mammon made his weak points easy to exploit and her curiosity was burning so bright inside her that she didn’t stop to consider the consequences of such curiosity.

“Wha?!” Mammon stood stunned for a moment as the human left him behind. “Of course YOU'RE scared of Lucifer! He could snuff you out with a thought! Less than a full thought! But I’m not afraid of him!” he shouted as he caught up with her in a few easy strides. 

“It’s alright Mammon, I told you I understand. You can be honest with me.” Lily said as she kept walking. 

“I told you, I’m not! I mean, that’s crazy! Listen now, most of the time, I don’t let people see the full extent of my power! What I’m sayin’ is that even if I did face off against someone like Lucifer, I wouldn’t even have to use all of my strength to win! Understand?!” Mammon growled frustrated at how dismissive this human was being of him, not just any human was dissin’ him either, it was HIS human.  Lily shrugged and came to a stop and looked him in the eye. “Then what’s at the top of the stairs Mammon?”

“All right, fine! The truth is none of us know what’s at the top of the stairs, I mean it’s the attic but we don’t know what he keeps up there, he has it spelled so no demon except himself can get up there. You can’t get up the stairs because Lucifer’s blocking the way, right?! You need to do somethin’ to get rid of him, right?! Well, guess what? Distracting Lucifer is easy as pie! Listen up ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once. So, clean the wax outta your ears for a change and pay attention! You know that series Levi likes? What was it called..um, the Tale of the Seven..Seven..Seven ways to get rich quick..wait, no. That’s the book I was readin’ the other day…” Mammon began to drift in thought.

“It’s The Tale of the Seven Lords.” Lily supplied him with the correct answer. 

“Right, yeah. That’s the one. Anyway, you need to get your hands on a vinyl edition copy of the soundtrack for that Tale of the Seven whatsawhosit. If you have that, you can use it to distract Lucifer no problem. Don’t ask why, ‘cause I’ve got no idea why Lucifer’s interesting in somethin’ like that either. But if you wanna climb those stairs, you’re gonna have to start by gettin’ your hands on that soundtrack.” Mammon told her, looking smug with himself. 

“Alright, thanks Mammon.” Lily smiled at Mammon and for a moment he was distracted by that unguarded smile. “I’ll ask Levi after class if I can borrow it.”

Mammon looked surprised for a moment before he burst out laughing. “AHAHA! You really are an idiot aren’t ya?!” he laughed with tears in his eyes. “You think Levi...LEVI of all demons is just going to do something like that because you asked?! You’ve got a lot to learn human.” he said as he shook his head. 

“My name is Lily.” she reminded him. 

Mammon scoffed and rolled his eyes, “Yeah yeah, come on LILY.” he punctuated her name.

Mammon dropped Lily off at her first classroom which surprised her because he normally ditched her at the doors, she didn’t mention it though and only thanked him with a smile. “Don’t let it go to your head ya dummy, it's just my job.” he grumbled as he stalked off. Lily was excited to see that the two Angels and the mysterious Solomon were also in this class. Despite finding herself in this surreal experience, she found herself excited to be out of orientation and begin taking real classes. There was so much to learn after all and Lily was endlessly curious. 

“Oh Lily!” Luke smiled and waved at her. “Sit next to me.” he said excitedly, “we saved you a seat.” Lily wasn’t sure if it was that they saved her a seat or if the demons in the class just didn’t want to sit anywhere near the three. There were many empty seats all around those three after all. Lily was no stranger of being the outcast so the signs were easy to see. With a smile she happily sat with her fellow exchange students. It didn’t take any guessing to know why a roomful of demons wouldn’t want to sit with angels and a reportedly untrustworthy sorcerer who had many demons under his command.

Lily sat next to Luke, Simeon and Solomon sat behind them. “I don’t know why they’re making me take this class.” Solomon yawned. “I think I’ve been around long enough to know the histories by now.” Luke seemed to agree with him as his face colored. “Hmph. There’s nothing new we’ll learn.” he said as he jutted out his chin. The angel called Simeon only smiled and had nothing to add. Lily smiled at them all in turn. “Well I don’t know anything.” she shrugged. “But I’m happy to share this class with you three.” she admitted. 

Luke’s face colored again. “W-well of course! We can’t abandon you.” he said, throwing glares to the demons. “Heh.” Solomon smirked. “Well I suppose with Lily here it won’t be too boring.” 

“Hmm. Indeed.” Simeon agreed. 

Lily faced forward and pulled out a blank notebook and labeled it  **_The History of the Devildom 101_ ** and sat at attention when the instructor began his lecture. One glare from the professor of Devildom History had most of the demon’s settling down which Lily found impressive. He cleared his throat and began. 

“In the beginning there was absolute Darkness. The absolute and blessed absence of light. A realm of pure, unadulterated thought and raw dark energy. The birthplace of the spirits of our ancestors.” Lily listened, fascinated as she scratched her notes down in her notebook. 

“Then the Destroyer came, a being of infinite power that even the greatest spirits in that day could not contest. The Destroyer sundered the dark with the insidious light.”

Little Luke, who had been turning red as a tomato had finally banged his fists on his desk, causing Lily to jump in surprise. “How DARE YOU!” Luke hissed, trying to rise from his seat. Simeon had a hand on his shoulder immediately, pushing him back into his seat. “Now, now Luke. Don’t make a scene.” he chided the younger angel. “B-But SIMEON!” Luke protested but Simeon quieted him with one stern look. “My apologies.” Simeon told the instructor with a radiant smile. The professor of History narrowed his eyes at angels, and pointed to the door. “There’s an exit should you have need of it.” he said in a scathing tone before returning to his lecture. Lily could only imagine how uncomfortable this would be for an angel and felt sorry for Luke as he trembled next to her. She rested her free hand on his and offered him a smile. Luke looked at the human feeling suddenly ashamed of his outburst, her presence calmed him and he managed to get through the rest of the lecture without incident. 

“As the most powerful denizens of the Dark pushed back against this unholy intrusion the combined powers tore apart the immaterial and thus the third realm, that of the physical was found or born.” Here the professor paused with a slight smirk. “Now, today it is up to some debate. Some say the clash of the two realms created the physical realm, other’s say that the realm always existed and that the explosive clash merely ripped a hole into that realm. The Angels would have you think that their Father created the physical realm.” he rolled his eyes as he paced before the blackboard.

“What we do know is that in that clash, the three realms became irrevocably tangled together. But since this is History of the Devildom we won’t be going into how this affected the other realms. The immaterial realm of Absolute Dark had become entangled with light and substance which caused chaos among the spirits. This plane that we inhabit here and now, the Devildom, was the first physical plane to exist in the realm of Dark and later it would be discovered that this realm was connected to the physical or what we call the human realm today. What was once an endless realm of Dark and Spirit had become a realm of chaos. Eventually that chaos was navigated, charted and somewhat tamed by formidable spirits who later became the first Demon Kings.”

Lily’s head spun with information. Most of it went completely over her head but she scratched out her notes dutifully anyway. 

“Since the realms had become entangled, when the Celestial being, known as the Destroyer of eons past began to inflict their will upon the physical realm it's echoes were felt throughout the known universe. Many spirits were curious and left our realm to explore the physical realm where the Celestial being, now popularly called the Creator, had created all manner of strange creatures and monstrous beasts. Some spirits became lost and never returned, others returned with tales of caution and more yet returned changed, having been infected by the corporeal realm. Thus the first ancestors of the modern Demon were born, spirits who could take on a physical form. Some were influenced by earth, fire, water and air. Others by the strange beasts they encountered. Each time the Celestial being created new life in the physical realm it was felt by our ancestors and each time those who left to return were once more changed. Some left our realm having found something appealing in the physical realm and ruled there as horrific gods over elements and beasts alike. Until Humans were created and caused the most influential change over our race.” 

Lily felt like shrinking into her chair when the professor looked straight at her. “Thus concludes my lectures for today. Read chapters one through seven before our next class.” he instructed before dismissing them. Lily released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as finished her notes and followed a disgruntled Luke, an unaffected Simeon and a mildly amused Solomon out and on to their next class together which ended up being just as fascinating to Lily although she couldn’t say the same for her fellow exchange students. 

  
  


Lucifer was waiting for Lily when she exited her last class of the day. “How were classes?” he asked her, “I hope you learn to listen well, I expect you to not bring embarrassment to Lord Diavolo. Of course we cannot hope for you to get the same marks as us, but we expect the best a human of your caliber is capable of.” 

Lily let Lucifer’s condescension roll off her, she was used to being underestimated. “My classes were all quite fascinating, I took many notes…” Lily answered cheerfully before pausing, thinking. “I may not have enough notebooks at this rate.”

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t help thinking that Lily was unusual for her species. She wasn’t hyper by any means in fact sometimes she looked like she might just fall asleep standing yet she was quick to smile and radiated a quiet cheerfulness. An image of subdued filtered sunlight through so many forest branches, Lilith laying in a forest clearing surrounded by violet colored flowers, flashed through his mind like a whisper. He clenched his fists, Lily's eyes...the same color as those flowers, that must have been what triggered the memory. He rarely thought of her these days, it irked him to no end that this human should do so. 

“Come, I don’t have time to waste.” he said with cold grace and walked ahead, leaving Lily to work her legs twice as fast to keep up. 

“The Royal Bank of Diavolo?” Lily questioned, breathlessly. Lily had been surprised to see a sleek black car waiting for them at the main campus entrance. The Driver had dropped them off in the city, Lucifer had offered no explanations and Lily had been too absorbed in every new exotic sight that she had asked no questions until several blocks later they stopped in front of the bank. 

“Seeing as you’ll need grimm during your stay, Diavolo has given you a sum to open your own bank account here. A human of course can’t open an account, which is why I am here to be the official owner of your account. Which means I’ll be keeping an eye on this account.” he warned. “I expect you to spend responsibly.” 

  
  


The bank was grand and opulent, Lily had never imagined a place before. Her eyes widened when she spied the short, round and stout demon at the counter. Everyone she’d been around at this point looked very human, aside from a few peculiarities that made them look just a bit different than you would expect of your average human. This person before her was like something out of a fable, rumplestiltskin came to mind. “Close your mouth Lily, you look like a mindless guppie.” Lucifer quipped, his gloved finger lifting her chin as she closed her mouth with a snap. “It’s rude to stare. I thought that was the same in the Human realm?” he asked, not actually interested in an answer.

“S-s-sorry Sir!” Lily exclaimed, as she scrambled for an apology. The Demon laughed, “First time in the Devildom human?” it was more of a statement than a question. “Best get used to it quickly,” he advised with a toothy smile, “There are lots uglier than me ‘round.” he said before turning his attention to Lucifer.

“How can I be of service to you today my Lord?” the smaller Demon gave Lucifer a small bow of respect. Lily was surprised, she had not seen anyone address the Avatars so formally before. Things must be more casual on campus although it was obvious that the Student Council commanded a lot of respect, their President WAS the crown prince after all. 

“I need to open an account for this human.” Lucifer told him, getting straight to business. “Of course,” the Demon responded, clacking away at the computer. Lily’s mind was still trying to reconcile the fact she was in a mythical place that used modern technology. “Name?” the demon asked. “Lily Evans.” she responded as her eyes wandered everywhere, taking in every detail. 

“Hmm. That’s strange.” The demon said, “she seems to already have an account here.” Lily and Lucifer’s gaze went straight to the demon. “That’s impossible.” Lucifer said. Lily nodded in agreement, she was pretty sure she’d have remembered opening a bank account in the Devildom. 

“One way to be sure.” the demon said and slid a fingerprint scanner towards Lily. Lily pressed her thumb on the pad, “ouch!” she said as something sharp jabbed her. “Yep, a print and a blood match.” the demon confirmed as Lily frowned at her pricked thumb, they could have warned her. 

Lucifer looked truly exasperated. “When was the account created and who authorized it?” he questioned, feeling impatient. The Demon pressed a few keys, raising a brow before he responded. “Looks like it was..thirty years ago? Lord Barbatos is the official owner of the account.” 

“But I wasn’t even alive twenty years ago...let alone thirty.” Lily said with a frown. The Demon only shrugged. Lily looked up at Lucifer and had never seen such a deep frown mar his face before. After a long sigh, he said, “Very well. What is the status of her account?” Lucifer asked. The Demon let out another sound of surprise as he clicked into the next screen. Instead of saying he merely wrote down a number and pushed it Lucifer’s way. Lucifer’s eyes widened in surprise. Lily tried to look too but wasn’t quick enough before it was pulled away again and she looked at Lucifer. 

Lucifer looked down at Lily as if he was trying to discerene a mystery. “Suffice to say you have enough for your stay.” he told her shortly. Then with a threatening look. “Do. Not. Tell Mammon about this account.” Lily could only nod in agreement, his cold gaze giving her a chill. 

It only took a few moments more for the Demon to create what looked like a debit card. Lucifer stood outside the bank with Lily and looked hesitant to hand the card over to Lily. “Don’t lose this. Don’t let Mammon get his hands on it either.” he warned her again before pinching his nose. 

“There you are!” a familiar voice sang and Lily found herself being pulled into Asmodeus’ side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Oh this is going to be so much fun! Just you wait darling! I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“Don’t get carried away Asmodeus.” Lucifer warned with a severe look. Asmo pouted when Lucifer gave him the budget for their shopping trip. “Hmm well I would have liked to have more to work with.” he sighed. “I suppose it can’t be helped though.” he sighed once more before turning back into his cheerful and overbearing personality. “That’s alright darling, I’m an expert. You’re in safe hands, I’ve worked with worse budgets.”

“Bring her back before dinner and unharmed.” Lucifer warned as Asmodeus began to pull Lily away. “Of course of course.” Asmo said dismissively. “And keep your hands to yourself Asmodeus.” Lucifer said with a warning glare before he let them go and turned himself towards the Castle, he had words to have with Lord Diavolo and Barbatos.

“I hope you’ll let me indulge today Lily.” Asmodeus was saying, as they walked down the street, his arm had slipped from her shoulders to her waist as he kept her close while they walked. “My brothers rarely let me, you know even though they could all benefit from my expertise.” he said as he rolled his eyes and flipped his bangs out of his face. “Don’t get the wrong impression though! Everyone else would die to have my undivided attention like this...but you see...I don’t do this for just anyone, especially if I’m not getting anything in return you know?” 

Lily really did not know, but she didn’t interrupt him all the same. She already knew Asmodeus was the type that liked to talk and talk and talk, mostly about themselves, so she knew it wouldn’t matter if she contributed much to the conversation at all. It didn’t take long before they were standing outside a more modern looking building on a very nice street full of shops, Lily was still admiring the cobblestone streets when Asmodeus pulled her into the store called Majolish. 

“Asmo!” a very feminine voice called out as they entered the store. Lily looked to see a very tall and beautiful woman approach them. No she wasn’t a woman, Lily corrected herself, but she was the first Demon Lily had seen so far of the female persuasion. Lily found herself staring again, the female was tall, taller than Asmodeus with the most womanly looking curves, shiny burgundy hair hung down her back in glossy waves. Her eyes were a glittering emerald and her skin was olive colored, her full sensual lips were painted ruby red. Lily didn’t think she’d seen a more alluring woman in her life. 

The female frowned a bit when she spotted Lily, then with a smirk she asked. “What’s with the little lamb Asmo? Why does it stare at me so?” 

Remembering her manners, Lily stuttered. “S-so s-sorry! I..I’ve just never seen someone so beautiful!” Lily exclaimed with honesty. “I apologise for being rude.” she said calmly. 

The female laughed while Asmo pouted and pinched Lily’s chin. “I suppose if Carnalita’s looks rendered your stuttering, my own must have rendered you speechless.” he tsked. 

“This is Lily, Lord Diavolo’s human exchange student.” Asmodeus said, releasing Lily’s chin and making introductions. “The poor dear needs a complete wardrobe overhaul!” he said dramatically. 

“Oh?” The female looked a bit disappointed, like she’d been denied a delicious treat. “She’s a sweet little lamb isn’t she?” 

“You can’t even imagine.” Asmodeus purred. Lily wasn’t listening to them anymore, already distracted by the racks of clothes. She and her father had exclusively shopped at the small thrift store in the town over, she couldn't remember a time where she’d owned something new. Pretty soon the conversation was over and Asmo was whisking her all around until he had a dressing room full of clothing for her to try on. 

“Can’t we just buy a few things and go?” Lily asked, looking at the daunting amount of clothing that Asmodeus had assembled. Asmo laughed and pushed her into the dressing room. “Be a good girl or I’ll have to change you myself.” he told her with a saccharine smile. With a sigh of her own and seeing no way out, Lily began to try on the first outfit. When it was on she looked at herself in the mirror and blushed. “Are you ready?” Asmo’s voice called to her. “Uh no! Don’t come in.” she said, panicked. The curtain was pulled back with a flourish as Asmo crowded her and Lily wrapped her arms around her exposed middle. 

Asmo pulled her arms away from herself, tutting, “You can’t hide from me Lily. Let’s see…” Asmo’s eyes widened momentarily. “Oh wow...I had no idea you were hiding such a scrumptious little body.” he grinned. Lily blushed deeper and tried to hide herself again. Lily had always considered herself a confident person, she wasn’t ashamed of her body or looks. She didn’t have much opinion really, she didn’t think she was exceptionally beautiful nor did she dislike the way she looked. However, she’d always dressed modestly and exposing so much of her skin was not in her comfort zone. 

After Asmo was done admiring her body he clucked his tongue. “No, no this won’t do. Won’t do at all.” he shook his head. “No we’ll have to keep you covered up or else Lucifer will have my head, a shame really...but probably for the best.” he said to himself as he began to remove certain pieces of clothing from her room. “Try that on next.” he said pointing to a dress as he left the dressing room to gather even more things for her to try on. While Asmo was gone she heard her D.D.D. pinging with message alerts but she ignored it, she had too many clothes to try on. 

Once Asmo had her trying on more modest pieces Lily began to enjoy herself more. The clothes were lovely, she had to admit, she never imagined herself wearing such nice clothes. Not that she’d imagined she’d be poor her whole life but well, she just never thought much beyond the present and what she currently had. Asmo had wanted to dress her in full skirts and silky blouses with bows and many dresses. She had to argue that she needed practical clothes too and didn’t see why she’d need so many fancy clothes, Asmo had laughed at the word fancy. He finally allowed her a few pairs of designer jeans and tshirts in soft pastel colors. Even so, she found herself having fun and getting excited about owning such clothes. 

Until she saw it all heaped up on the counter, her rational side kicked in. “Oh I think maybe we have too much. Maybe we should put some back?” as she reached for a pair of high heels she doubted she’d ever wear, Asmo slapped her hand. “No, no you need all of this trust me.” 

“But are we going to be in the budget Lucifer gave us?” she asked, worried. “Well...we may have gone a smidge over.” he giggled. “Don’t look so worried! Lucifer will understand.” Asmo insisted but Lily could only imagine that they were both going to end up in trouble. 

“Wait, I didn’t pick those.” Lily told the demon who was ringing up her items, when she spotted a bunch of lacy looking underwear. “Oh don’t worry I picked them out for you.” Asmo said as he tapped away on his phone. “But you don’t even know my size.” Lily argued. 

Asmo smiled at her, “I just know these things my dear.” 

  
  


Back at the House of Lamentation Lily had only been half right. Lucifer had been waiting for them when they walked into the house, their arms full of bags. After demanding to see the receipt, Asmo was on the receiving end of a lecture, when Lucifer went through the bags. “But Lucifer, that budget really wasn’t adequate when you consider everything that she needs!” Asmo tried to defend his actions. Lucifer straightened and Lily covered her face when she saw a pink scrap of lace hanging off of Lucifer’s gloved finger as he gave Asmo a challenging look. 

“What?!” Asmo said, throwing up his hands. “Girls need to feel pretty under their clothes too!” he exclaimed and pointed at Lily. “Look at her, she needs all the help she can get.” Lily didn’t know if she should feel insulted but right now all she could feel was embarrassment. 

“We can take the clothes back.” she insisted, just wanting to escape this situation. 

Lucifer turned his attention to Lily. “Are you satisfied with the clothing you bought?” he asked her. Lily nodded and couldn’t help but smile. “Well I didn’t choose those…” she said, indicated the underwear that still hung from Lucifer’s finger, blushing again. “But I do love what we picked out.” she confirmed. 

“Awwwww. Just look at that smile Lucifer!” Asmo cooed. “Isn’t she just precious?” his eyes glittered with something Lily couldn’t read. Lucifer rolled his eyes and sighed. “Alright then.” he said and dropped the underwear back into the bag. “Take your clothes to your room and put them away and then join us for dinner.” he instructed before walking off. 

Lily hummed a happy tune while she put away all her new clothes. She tucked her old clothing back into her suitcase and slipped it under her bed. She couldn’t help blushing at some of the undergarments she came across and shoved them to the back of a drawer, relieved when she found some more practical pieces. Selecting her favorite dress and matching shoes, Lily changed before braiding her hair over her shoulder and heading to dinner.

The quiet snickering that was going around the table hushed when Lily walked in, Mammon’s face looked red and he wouldn’t meet her eyes. Leviathan took one look at her and then ducked his head and began eating his food faster. She didn’t know why everyone was being strange, but she didn’t really know them...and they were demons...maybe they were not being strange at all? Used to being considered the strange one herself, she paid it no mind as she sat down to eat. 

“You look very fetching tonight.” Satan told her with a smile and Asmo giggled. 

“No! No she doesn’t!” Mammon said. Everyone, including Lily looked over at his outburst. Mammon met Lily’s eyes for a second before saying, “I mean, ya look okay, for a human that is.” Lily didn’t notice Levi rolling his eyes next to her. 

“Let's try not talking tonight. Shall we?” Lucifer said dryly before turning back to his plate. Beel mumbled something between bites that Lily couldn’t understand. Levi finished his meal in record time and was the first to leave, when Mammon stood up to leave, Lily abandoned her own meal in favor of following him out. 

“Mammon. Wait.” she called out. Mammon pretended not to hear but his steps slowed and Lily easily caught up with him. 

“Help me get the TSL soundtrack.” she said when he looked her way. 

Mammon rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Why should I help you? If ya want that soundtrack, then go find Levi and work it out with him yourself, dummy. Now show me what Asmo had you buy today, knowing him there’s something in there worth something…” he trailed off. 

Lily shook her head. “Come on.” she said, a command in her voice as she marched towards Levi’s room as the force of their pact dragged Mammon behind her. “Hey! Wh-what’s goin’ on?! Dammit, my body..IT’s movin’ on its own! Grr..! F-fine, all right! I’ll go with you, okay?! It feels like you’ve got some kinda invisible cord tied around my neck...aaah, stop pullin’ on it!...I said stooooop!”

Lily glanced back at Mammon who looked like an unruly puppy pulling against his masters leash. “I’m not pulling anything.” she said. Honestly, she had no real understanding of these pacts, only that it seems that if she really wanted something from Mammon he seemed unable to resist. 

“D’AAAH! Quit pullin’ on me! Gr….dammit, lemme go! Let...me...go...this..instaAAA..!” They arrived in front of Levi’s door and suddenly Mammon was released and he stumbled back hard with the force of his pulling against the pact, banging the back of his head into the wall. 

“Ow…! Hey, what the hell?! Ya coulda at least given me a little warning before lettin’ go! I hit my head just now, ya know?! I can’t believe you decided to go straight to Levi and ask him for the soundtrack...You really don’t have any patience, do ya?! First of all, there’s no way Levi’s just gonna agree to lend you his Tale of whatever-it-was vinyl soundtrack. Actually, he ain’t even gonna let you inside his room. I’m sure of it! Don’t go thinkin’ that everything’s gonna go your way ‘cause ya want it to! You know what your problem is? I’ll tell you --” Mammon was on another rant but Lily put her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, did you really hit your head that hard?” she asked.

Mammon blinked at her for a moment before he shrugged her hand off her arm. “Of course I’m fine! Ya think something like that can really hurt me? The Great Mammon?” he snapped. 

“Mammon you’re such a jackass.” it sounded like Levi’s voice coming from his room. 

“I’m not a jackass, or an idiot or a scumbag or a money-obsessed moron!....which you didn’t actually call me, but still!...!” Mammon was riled up that quick again.

“You’re making way too much noise, Mammon. Would you do me a favor, and NOT stand outside my door being loud? I’m in the middle of watching the best scene of The Magical Ruri-Hana: Demon Girl.” Levi hissed from the other side of the door. 

Mammon glared at the door. “Levi, we need to talk to you. Get off your ass and come to the door!” 

“No.” Levi replied simply. 

“See? See? What’d I tell ya? He won’t even open the damn door for us.” Mammon said, pointing at the door. “Might as well give up.”

Lily turned thoughtful as she turned towards the door. “Hey Levi...it’s Lily. I was hoping I could ask you something?” 

There was a short pause before Levi spoke again. “N-not not right now normie. C-come back another time.” 

“Hey, I was wondering who that was out here in the hall. So, it’s the pair everyone is talking about…” Lily turned to see Solomon and gave him a friendly smile and wave.

“...Wha? Oh, Solomon, it’s you. What do ya mean by that?” Mammon asked, looking suspiciously at the smiles the humans were exchanging with each other.

“I’m referring to the rumor regarding a certain human by the name of Lily. A human who looks very ordinary at first glance, but has already managed to make a pact with a demon, despite having only just gotten here. Apparently this demon must be a real idiot, because he let a human discover and exploit his greatest weakness, and was then tricked into forging a pact.” Solomon explained with a wink directed at Lily. 

Mammon begins to laugh, “AHAHA! What demon is that? He must be a total numbskull! HA, what an idiot!....wait, you’re talkin’ about ME!” Mammon glared suddenly coming to his senses, “Anyway, what’re you even doin’ here, Solomon?”

“I’m here because Levi invited me.” Solomon said, rendering Mammon shocked for a moment. 

“Wha? Levi invited YOU? To his room? No way, I don’t buy it.” Mammon crossed his arms. 

“I’m afraid it’s the truth. Levi? It’s me.” Solomon called, stepping in front of Levi’s door as Lily moved back by Mammon’s side. 

“What’s the secret phrase?” Levi asked from inside. 

Solomon cleared his throat and said, “The second lord…”

“...attempted to steal the Lord of Corruption’s platypus, which could lay golden eggs…” came Levi’s voice again. Mammon was rolling his eyes and Lily was listening, interested in what was going on. 

“...having incurred the wrath of the Lord of Corruption for this misdeed…” was Solomon’s reply. 

“it was ordered that the second lord would be forever dubbed The Lord of Fools. Secret phrase authenticated. You may enter.” Levi’s voice sounded excited. 

“Well, guess I’ll see you two later. Bye.” Solomon said with a smirk, entering Levi’s room and leaving the two behind. Mammon charged ahead and tried the door but it was already locked again. “Mammon banged loudly on the door. “The second Lord…” he shouted. 

*buzzzz*! “Secret phrase authentication failure. Access denied.” was Levi’s immediate response 

“Wha? Wait, that was totally right! It’s exactly what Solomon said!” Mammon yelled angrily. 

“The secret phrase is periodically reset.” Levi said. “Maybe you should come back after you’ve at least watched TSL on DVD.”

Mammon shook his head in frustration, “Solomon just proved to Levi that he’s a total TSL nerd too, so now they’re buddies. Which means that if you wanna borrow that soundtrack from Levi..then you’re gonna have to do what Solomon did, and become a TSL nerd yourself It’s that or nothing!” he said, throwing up his hands. 

“Hmm.” Lily shrugged. “Okay. Why not? Sounds fun. I’m interested in TSL anyway.”

“Sure, sure.” Mammon said dismissively. “Can I go now? We can’t do anything about this until classes are done for the week.”

“Of course.” Lily nodded. “Goodnight.” she said as she drifted back down the stairs towards her room. Mammon watched her go, his hand fisted as he resisted the strange urge to follow after her. 

Back in her room, Lily changed into her new pajamas. Not the silk nightgown that Asmo insisted she get but the cozy pant and top set which was still pink with a floral motif. Lily had never owned such feminine clothing before but she wasn’t complaining. Sitting on her bed, she picked up her D.D.D. and checked to see if she had any missed messages. There were none to her but there were two from today with the yellow eye icon. Lily stared at the messages, mulling over whether she should really look at something that wasn’t meant for her eyes. Eventually her curiosity won out and she tapped on the first message that came around the time she’d been in the changing room. 

  
  
  
**The Demon Brothers**

**> Asmodeus:** I can’t believe Lord Diavolo sent such a virgin to live with us! What is he thinking? Sending the innocent lamb to the wolves. The poor dear.

**< Leviathan:** A virgin? How do you know?

**< Mammon:** Oi! What are you doing with my human Asmo?!

**< Satan** : Isn’t she Lord Diavolo’s Pet? How is she yours Mammon?

**> Leviathan:** LOLOL   
**< Mammon: ** I’m in a pact with her, that’s why she’s mine!

**> Asmodeus:** I couldn’t believe the body she’s been hiding under those hideous clothes of hers. Even the school uniform doesn’t do it justice and I designed that!

**< Mammon: ** Whaddya doin to my human ya pervert?!

**> Asmodeus: ** I told her last night that it's customary for housemates to bathe together and she totally believed me! Hahaha!

**< Leviathan** : You bathed with her?!

**> Asmodeus: ** No but she gave me a raincheck *winking demoji sticker*

**< Lucifer:** Asmodeus you’re on thin ice. Don’t even think about doing anything that would jeopardize the exchange program. 

Lily was so angry, she remembered Mammon’s red face and the quiet laughs she had walked in to at dinner. “They think I’m stupid.” Mammon himself had said it right to her face so many times. Angrily she clicked on the next message. 

**No Big Brother’s Allowed**

**> Asmodeus: ** Ugh, Lucifer is such a killjoy.

**< Satan:** Honestly, what did you expect?

**> Asmodeus** : Let’s play a game.

**< Beelzebub:** A game? With food?

**> Asmodeus:** No Beel.

**< Satan:** What sort of game?

**> Asmodeus:** Who can seduce the Virgin first.

**< Satan:** Not interested.

**< Satan:** How do you know she’s a virgin?

**> Asmodeus:** Please. I know these things.

**> Asmodeus:** Come on. I’m so bored. It will be fun.

**< Satan: ** No thanks.

**> Asmodeus:** It will piss off Lucifer. 

**< Satan:** …

**< Satan: ** Okay, I’m in. But I’m changing the terms of seduce. Whoever is first to get her to succumb to any of our sins.

**> Asmodeus:** Okay, suit yourself.

**< Beelzebub:** I don’t want to.

**> Asmodeus: ** I’ll treat you to that new all you can eat buffet.

**< Beelzebub:** ...okay…

  
  


Lily hadn’t felt this mad in quite awhile. “Ugh…” she flopped on her back and let her phone fall out of her hand. “...those….stupid...Demons!” It didn’t matter what realm she found herself in, those around her never saw her worth, she’d always be the outsider, the girl who didn’t fit in. But Lily refused to feel sorry for herself. She’d show them. She’d find the answers to her questions and then she was getting the hell out of this place. She’d had such a lovely day too, she’d let herself get enamoured by fancy clothing and the desire to fulfill her own curiosity and she’d momentarily forgotten that she was literally surrounded by demons. 

Lily pulled out her Journal, she knew there would be no sleep for her tonight if she didn’t get her thoughts out on paper.

**Lily’s Daily Journal - Day 6**

_ I live with a bunch of Jerks. I know, it was foolish of me to think differently. They told me from the beginning that they are Demons. Even Luke warned me. Why do I have to live here? It would have been nice if I could have been in Purgatory Hall with the Angels and Solomon, although I don’t know them any better. Surely I can trust Angels and my fellow human? I shouldn’t take anything for granted. Not only have I been taken to another realm but I feel like I’ve been dropped into a Nancy Drew novel. There are mysteries afoot… _

_ What is Lucifer hiding in the attic? It may have nothing to do with me, but then why can’t he just tell me? I have to know for sure. _

_ How did I already have a bank account here created 11 years before I was born and what does Barbatos have to do with it? _

_ Did my father find himself here? How will I find out. I should talk to the angels. _

_ My next step is finding a way to make friends with Levi, well at least get him willing to lend me that soundtrack. He comes off harsh but so far he doesn’t seem like as much of a jerk as some of his brothers… _

Tucking her journal away, Lily laid down, exhausted and fell into a fitful slumber where she dreamed of crystal blue skies, rainbows, pearly gates and golden streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was much longer than I usually do but I just didn't see a good way to break it up. How do you think Lily should get back at Asmo??
> 
> I'm creating a whole backstory for the brothers before their fall, and the creation story for that universe. I'll be mashing up a lot of different ideas, myths and head cannons. I hope y'all will at least find it interesting. 
> 
> As always, your comments, thoughts and theories are always welcome =D Thanks for reading!


	10. Payback Prank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bath time with Asmo..

When Lily woke up the next morning she decided that she just couldn’t face the demons, she was still too upset about the messages she read. She was torn between being mad at Karasu for ever giving her the ability and thankful because she might have fallen for their tricks without the heads up. Knowing it wasn’t necessarily the best idea but too upset to really care, Lily dressed and left for the RAD campus early on her own. 

Walking along the path, she hadn’t gotten far from the House when a rushing of wings and a light breeze brushed past her. The Raven that had flown past her circled and then flew straight at her. Lily was about the duck when the bird materialized as a man standing before her. 

“Oh it’s you.” Lily said morosely as she continued her walk to school. Karasu kept a jaunty pace beside her. “I can’t believe they let you out here all on your own.” he whistled. “No matter the changes Lord Diavolo has made...it’s still a dangerous place for a little thing like you.” 

Lily didn’t say anything but Karasu caught the look on her face. “Oh ho! Look at you! You snuck out didn’t you?” Karasu laughed and even though he was in human form, the sound was very reminiscent of a crow cawing. “Oh! I know what this is about.” a mischievous twinkle took over his eye. “You used my gift, those brothers probably said something in a chat that’s got you in this huff? I’m right aren’t I?” he said, smugly. 

Lily couldn’t help but send him a glare, she still wasn’t certain if she was thankful or mad at him. A bit of both she supposed. “They think I’m an idiot.” she huffed, unable to keep it in any longer. “Aren’t they supposed to be really old? I’d think they’d have gained an ounce of wisdom after all that time…maybe that’s beyond Demons!” Even angry, Lily’s voice barely rose higher than normal. “No offence to you.” she added, as she side eye’d Karasu who was looking at her with wider eyes. “Ah! Ahhahaha!” he burst out laughing, apparently not offended by her outburst. 

“You’ve got a lot to learn little human, but you’re in luck! Because Karasu is here to help you.” Karasu boasted, reminding Lily of a certain someone. Someone who was probably going to be in trouble when they found her missing at breakfast. “Now tell me what they said.” he encouraged her to tell her tale and when she was done he was chuckling. “Is that all?” he asked, earning himself a baleful look. Karasu laughed, “Now don’t look at me like that! I’ll help you put them in their place.” 

Karasu grinned and tapped his inky black fingers against his pale lips that curved into a sensual smile. “Asmodeus is easy...continue to ignore him and he’ll get bored and move on.” the demon explained. “If you want revenge though, there are a number of things that might do to get under his skin.” Lily could tell with one glance that Karasu was enjoying himself, he’d already told her that the brothers didn’t like him and maybe that went both ways. He was still a Demon, she couldn’t trust him anymore than anyone else but maybe she could at least find a temporary ally in him. 

“Revenge really isn’t my thing you know?” she said with a shrug and a sigh. Karasu wrapped and arm around her shoulders. “Oh but you’ll feel so much better and it's sooo much fun! Besides..we won't do anything too bad...don’t want to get you killed after all.” he laughed. “Think of it as a prank….you know they deserve it…” he encouraged her. 

“They do need to be taken down a peg..” Lily agreed,  _ especially that Asmodeus _ , she thought to herself. Smiling triumphantly Karasu whispered into Lily’s ear and told her how to deal with each brother. 

Lily was exhausted when she finally arrived back to her room after classes that day. Not only had she not slept well but Lucifer had called her to the Assembly Hall during her break and gave her a lecture about leaving the house without anyone, a lecture that was so long she missed a whole class and barely had time to grab a bite to eat before Lunch was over. She had to copy Luke’s notes from their Demon Biology 101 class before heading home. She didn’t correct Lucifer about her walking alone, she hadn’t been alone but she wasn’t ready to reveal her...relationship? with Karasu quite yet. 

Lily wanted to do nothing more than to get into her comfy pajamas and sink into her bed until morning. But she had Karasu’s plan to carry out and Lucifer would probably give her another lecture if she missed dinner. Pulling on the last dregs of her energy, she got to work. 

*knock knock knock*

Asmo looked up from scrolling through his selfies when the soft knock came to his door. He knew it had to be Lily, he could practically smell her from here but also, no one else who might visit him would have tapped so delicately at his door. Feeling intrigued at what would bring the human to his door, he leapt up at once. Checked to make sure he still looked perfect in the nearest mirror, giving himself a wink before he skipped over to his door. 

He pulled open the door wide, ready with a flirty quip at the tip of his tongue until he beheld Lily standing in front of him and all words and thought escaped him for a moment as he gawked at the little human in front of him. 

Lily felt really silly standing there, but she remembered Karasu’s words and resisted crossing her arms and kept her chin up. Confidence was key. Lily had to dig in the back of her drawer for the bathing suit that Asmodeus had insisted she buy that she never thought she’d use. She was thankful that it was a one piece at least, even though the bottom of it rode high and showed off way too much of her bum for her tastes. It was cute though, a pearly teal with a scaled pattern etched into the fabric. With her long lavender hair she’d looked like a mermaid when she’d checked herself out in the mirror. Karasu had come through for her with the rest of the items, they were waiting for her in her room when she arrived back. 

Asmodeus blinked, wondering if he was having a weird dream. Nope. She was still there. Lily was smiling at him, she was wearing that cute mermaid bathing suit he’d picked out for her but after that everything was..wrong. Her hair was already wrapped up and hidden in the most hideous chartreuse bathing cap he’d ever seen. She looked like an alien with her large eyes and an overly large green brain...she was carrying a caddy full of bath items, a large fluffy towel and some hideous worn out slippers that must have been from the human realm. He made a mental note to add new slippers to her list of needs. That, and to burn her old clothes at his first opportunity. 

“Does that offer for a bath still stand?” Lily asked sweetly, giving him a large smile. Asmodeus covered his mouth with his hand. Oh this was too precious….and sooo...pathetic. He thought to himself. “Oh right now lamb? I’m not sure…” he said.

Lily let her face fall as she felt both disappointment and relief. Relief because she felt like she was literally out of her mind to go through with this and disappointment because she needed in, if she was going to pull her prank on the vain Avatar of Lust. “Oh Okay. I understand.” Lily said. “I was just so worn out from today, the way you described your bath…”

“Oh alright!” Asmodeus said with a sigh. “I can’t possibly turn away a precious little lamb like yourself can I? A nice...hot...relaxing bath will be just the thing we need before dinner.” he told her as he ushered her in. “Just remember what an honor this is, some would kill to be in your place.” he said as he busied himself with filling the tub. 

Lily wasn’t listening though, temporarily forgetting why she was there in the first place as she looked around the room that looked like it had been handcrafted for a fairytale princesses. There was so much pink and living roses adorned some of the walls, drapes and even his bed frame and canopy were covered in them. The room smelled heavily of the fragrance and Lily felt transported and instantly relaxing in the dim candle light that lit his room. Lily had noticed that they had electricity but didn’t use it for everything. 

“The bath is ready!” Asmo sang, “It should be just the right temperature for a delicate little flower like you but let me know if you’d like things..hotter.” By the time Lily turned towards the bath Asmo had already disrobed and sunk beneath the bubbles. Even though Lily couldn’t see any of his nakedness below his chest, she felt her resolve begin to crumble. “Would you like help getting out of that suit dearest?” Asmo asked sweetly. And with those words, Asmodeus sealed his fate as Lily kicked off her slippers and stepped into the bathtub after setting aside her things. 

She smiled at him when said, “Oh sorry, until I feel more comfortable with your customs I’ll be wearing this.” she explained. Asmodeus shrugged as if it didn't matter to him either way. “You’re right though, this bath is a dream. Your whole room is beautiful.”

“I know isn’t it? I designed it all myself.” Asmo bragged proudly. He moved closer to Lily, he would have played with a strand of her hair but she’d bound it all up in that hideous cap. Instead he put a finger under her chin and had her look into his eyes as he tried to work his charm on her once more. Lily tried not to panic as she turned away and reached for her caddy, pulling out a loofa and an exfoliating scrub she held it before her like a shield. Asmo looked confused until he spied the jar of exfoliator and snatched it from her hands with a gasp. “Where did you get this? This is really good stuff! I just ran out of mine.”

Lily shrugged, “I just found it in my room.” she answered, it wasn’t a lie per say she just didn’t include that Karasu had put it there. Asmodeus gave a disgruntled cry. “I know Luci was going to provide you the basics but I had no idea he’d spoil you!” 

“Well let’s get to bathing!” Lily cheered and put a healthy helping of the scrub on her loofa. Asmo was just looking at her curiously when she said, “Well turn around...I’ll get your back..” her enthusiasm had waned and she bet her face was very red. 

“Ooo?” Asmo raised a brow and turned his back to Lily. She wasted no time in beginning to scrub his back, “Ooh this is nice.” Asmo sighed. “I wasn’t expecting this...you’re full of surprises little lamb.” Lily was very thankful for the loofa and that she didn’t actually have to touch his skin, she didn’t think she’d be able to handle that. “Are you? I thought this was part of your custom though?” she asked innocently. She’d never been around a human boy outside of her classes let alone in a romantic manner. Now she found herself in the bathtub with a very naked, very beautiful, DEMON who was the Avatar of Lust!  _ Don’t panic, Don’t panic, Don’t panic.. _ Lily spoke the mantra in her head as she tried to calm herself back down. 

“OW!” Asmo pulled away from her and scowled. “Not so hard! I might be a demon but my skin is still delicate!” he complained. Lily smiled meekly, she might have gotten a tad carried away with her scrubbing. “Sorry!” Asmo signed, “that’s alright...continue.” Lily exfoliated his back and arms before telling him he’d have to do the rest himself. “That’s alright. I think it’s your turn.” he said, turning to her with sparkling eyes. 

Lily gathered her courage. “Asmodeus your hair is so beautiful, may I wash it?” she asked. Asmo looked surprised for only a flash, before he smiled in a very alluring way, flipping his hair out of his eyes. “You think I let anyone touch my hair?” he laughed. “I’ll make an exception for you though little lamb.” he grabbed one of her hands. “These little hands do have a strangely soothing quality about them.” he told her. “Oh, thanks..” Lily blushed. When Asmodeus turned around she fetched the shampoo from her caddy. “Oh no!” Asmo waved a hand. “I can’t have just any shampoo touch these glorious strands.” but before he continued he was once again snatching the bottle away from Lily. “Seriously?! I cannot believe Luci bought this for you! This is even better than what I usually buy.” he pouted as he pushed the bottle back into Lily’s hands.  _ Wow, _ she thought, Karasu sure does know his stuff, she’d give him that. 

“Alright,” he sniffed. “Do a good job, little human.” 

Asmo smirked, unknown to Lily when he felt her trembling fingers work a lather into his hair after she’d wetted it with the pitcher. Of course, the Avatar of Lust had misinterpreted the reason for her trembling as she proceeded with the plan that Karasu had devised. 

Asmo had been practically purring with pleasure as the little human had washed his hair. Sure, he’d taken baths with many individuals but they never actually bathed each other, in fact there was little to do with getting clean at all. She induced a strange feeling of familiarity, the same feeling of comfort he had around his family. It was odd but right now he wasn’t going to question it, he hadn’t felt this relaxed in so long. Normally he was too anxiously awaiting for whatever was coming next so that he didn’t have to suffer boredom. He was half asleep when he realized with a start that Lily was already out of the bath, wrapped up in that huge fluffy towel with her slippers back on. “Where are you going?” he asked, fighting the fog in his mind as his little lamb escaped his room. 

“Thanks for the bath, it was nice. I better go get ready for dinner.” she said cheerily as she left. Lily practically ran to her room once Asmodeus’s door was shut, the only problem with the plan had been that Asmo had a million mirrors in his room, so it was vital she made her escape before the effects took hold. She let out a relieved sigh once she was in her room and rested her forehead on the closed door...not that a door, one without a proper lock to boot, was much protection from Demons. 

“Oi! Where ya been?! I’ve been lookin’ all over for ya!” Mammon’s shout scared Lily half to death as she whirled around to see him sitting on her bed with his arms crossed. “I was taking a bath..” she answered as her heart rate returned to normal. Mammon couldn’t see Lily’s bathing suit with the way she’d wrapped herself in the towel and assuming she was naked underneath his cheeks turned crimson. “Oh..well...that’s fine I guess...Just tell me next time you take off! Lucifer chewed my ass for that stunt you pulled this morning!” he growled as he left her room in a hurry. 

Lily peeled off her bathing suit and cap and dressed quicker than she ever had before for dinner. Karasu said she’d be safest with Mammon or Lucifer. Mammon because they had a pact and Lucifer because of his pride and loyalty to Diavolo. Ducking into the kitchen she found Satan was cooking dinner. The Avatar of Wrath always came off cordial but she couldn’t help but think it was a mask. He also agreed to harass her with Asmo just to piss off his brother. She kept a wary distance. “Good evening Lily.” Satan greeted her. 

A blood curdling shriek echoed through the house cutting off their social etiquette. Lily simultaneously wanted to giggle and run and hide at the same time. Instead she just made double time into the dining room and hoped Mammon or Lucifer were there. Beel was the only one at the table though and he was holding onto his stomach grumbling about being hungry, so Lily kept the table between them. Mammon skidded into the dining room, suddenly appearing as if out of nowhere. Lucifer followed not long after, the calm measured *clack, clack* of his dress shoes sounding on the marble floor preceded him. 

“Why is Asmodeus making such an awful noise?” Lucifer asked, as he rubbed his temples. “Eh? Who knows with that drama queen.” Mammon said, shrugging. “Probably found a pimple on his face or somethin’ “ he snickered. Lucifer gave him an un-amused look.

A few loud curses later Asmo came rushing into the dinning room, he looked impeccable as always, not a blemish on his smooth and perfectly hydrated skin. Yet when his brother’s beheld him, they all burst out laughing. Even Lucifer had a smile on his face as Lily edged behind Mammon as she covered up her own giggle. Asmodeus’ sparkling shiny champagne colored hair had been reduced to a dull seaweed green. 

When Karasu had first proposed the idea to Lily she thought there was no way. She had enough experience dying her own hair to know that it was a mess, her hands would be stained, there was no way she could pull it off. BUT things were different in the Devildom, apparently they had their own magical ‘mess free’ hair dyes. So they were able to hide it in the shampoo that she washed his hair with and after the specified time had passed, the hair would color. Only the hair which means her hands would not be turning green. Unfortunately Karasu and Lily overlooked the tiny detail that she was a spectacularly bad liar. 

“It’s not funny!” Asmo snapped at everyone and stomped his foot. “Lucifer!! I demand you punish this vile human! Look what she did to me!” he cried. Lucifer looked at Lily in an assessing way as Mammon puffed up and stood more fully in front of his human. 

“This is NOT my color! Look how sallow my skin looks! It’s DREADFUL, absolutely dreadful! How am I supposed to show my beautiful face?! My lovelies will languish without me, an absolute tragedy!” he lamented as he lifted his eyes and pinched his eyelashes to try to keep his tears at bay. 

Beel was ignoring everyone and eating all the food, while Satan had his smile hid behind a book. Mammon had been eyeing his brother, wondering if he’d try to attack his human when something occurred to him. “WAIT!” he turned and looked at his human, whose face was flushed red. Guilty, he thought to himself. “YOU took a bath with HIM!?” Mammon accused her. 

Lily flinched back, her protection seemed less sure now and she inched towards Lucifer. 

“She didn’t JUST take a bath with me!” Asmo scoffed. “She took advantage of me!” he lamented. “After I graciously invited her into my haven, let her bathe in my bath, let her lay hands on my beautiful, beautiful hair.” he sobed. “THIS is the thanks I get!” his glare was intimidating as he pointed disgustedly at his own hair. 

Satan couldn’t help it as he barked out a laugh, close to tears. Mammon whispered to Lily, heatedly while Asmo turned his ire on Satan for a moment. “You were naked in the bath with Asmo?! Asmo of all people!? I knew you were an imbecile but I had no idea you were that stupid!!” Lily returned Mammon’s stare levelly, “I was NOT naked.” she insisted. “I was wearing a bathing suit.” Mammon seemed mostly mollified by this revelation. “Oh. Well. IT was still really stupid! So don’t let me catch ya doin’ anything like that again!” he grumbled before turning around on Asmo. 

“Sounds to me like ya got what was comin’ to ya, you pervert!” Mammon insisted. Asmo gasped in offense. “I was a PERFECT gentleman!”

“Well Lily?” Suddenly Lucifer was speaking. “Are you responsible for this?” 

Lily couldn’t deny that she was frightened but she kept her chin up and held Lucifer’s gaze. “Yes. I did. I’m not sorry either.” Lucifer’s eyes narrowed but then the most unexpected thing happened, he began laughing. 

“Luciffeeerrr!” Asmo whined and stomped his foot again. Lucifer coughed and cleared his throat. *ahem* “Do you have anything to say in your defence?” he asked of Lily. “I have enough spiteful pranksters in this House, I don’t need another.” he sent a pointed glare Satan’s way. 

“She's probably just jealous of my beauty!” Asmo insisted, “Jealousy makes people do all sorts of nasty things...isn’t that right Levi?” 

Leviathan had only just walked into the dining room, “Not interested.” he said before grabbing a plate of food and quickly scurrying off back to his bedroom.

“That’s not it at all.” Lily finally spoke up. “I was making a point...you all think I’m stupid.” she said looking around at all of them. “I might just be an ordinary human, I might not have had the most worldly upbringing...but I’m not stupid.” she said firmly.

“You thought you’d fool me with that bath story and try to fool the innocent little lamb?” Lily spat, mocking the nickname Asmo had been using for her. “I’m not stupid and I’m not without resources.” 

The room was quiet except the munching, slurping and crunching noises coming from Beel. Asmo was glaring but apparently had nothing left to say, Mammon and Satan were trying to keep their snickering to an inaudible level. 

Lucifer sighed heavily. “Well Asmodeus, it seems the human has scored a point over the demons. However, I will not allow foolish pranks to go unpunished Lily. If you have a problem with someone, especially if it's one of my brothers..I expect you to come to me first.”

Asmo and Lily both seemed to be waiting for Lucifer’s verdict with bated breath. “Asmodeus...dish washing duty for the next week and after classes tomorrow Lily will take you to the salon and pay for your hair to be fixed.”

“What?! But that’s not fair! Lucifer! My beautiful hands!” Asmo lamented but one glare from Lucifer had him shut up. Lily felt like she’d gotten off easy and she wasn’t attacked so she was feeling pretty good all in all. When everyone sat to finally sit down to eat, there was a collective sigh when they realized there was not enough food to go around. “Sorry.” Beel mumbled, his mouth still full of food. 

Later that evening Beel was standing outside of Lily’s room with an armful of human realm food he’d gotten his hands on. This was his only shot to get Lily to give into gluttony and score that buffet trip from Asmo. He continued to stand there, staring at the door and then back down at the food in his arms. His belly gurgled and groaned. “Ugh. I can’t do this.” he admitted to himself before returning to his room to eat the food he’d almost foolishly offered to the human. 

  
  


**Chat 45**

**> Asmo: ** You’ve got to help me pay back that human for what she’s done to me.

**< Satan:** (Laughing-Demon Sticker)

**> Asmo:** SATAN!

**< Satan:** No. Sorry. She’s got some nerve. So unless she does something to piss me off...I’ll leave her be.

**> Asmo:** Ugh! You suck! Beel won’t help me anymore either. (Crying - Demon Sticker)

Lily rolled her eyes when she saw the message come through but she smiled a little too. She’d have to remember to thank Karasu the next time she saw him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asmo with green hair? Yay or Nay? LOL


	11. The first Movie Marathon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily studies up on TSL

Yesterday Lily had to pay for Asmo’s hair to be fixed, but it all worked in her favor as she was elated to find out that she could also get her own hair touched up at the same time. She was a bit nervous about paying, she didn’t understand the money system here yet and had no idea if she could afford it, yet she assumed that Lucifer wouldn’t have given her this punishment if she couldn’t and sure enough, her bank card was accepted without issue. Mammon had made fun of her, saying he couldn’t believe Diavolo had given her that much grimm and that she’d be broke for sure now. Asmo had been giving her the cold shoulder since and that was just fine for Lily. 

Now it was what constituted the weekend here and it was time to have a TSL Movie Marathon. Both Mammon and Beel were here in her room with her. 

“So, explain somethin’ to me. Why do I gotta join you for this TSL full series DVD Marathon Night you’re doin’?! And you say it’s 12 hours total?! What’s up with that?! We’ll be up all damn night!” Mammon complained loudly but Lily wasn’t listening as she was making a comfy nest of blankets and pillows on the floor. She had one memory of watching a Christmas special on TV when she was maybe six years old and she was really excited for this movie marathon. She’d read about sleepovers and blanket forts in books from her childhood and felt like she was capturing a piece of something she’d missed out on. 

“Yeah, and it’s almost midterms. You must have a lot of free time, Mammon.” Beel said, looking anxiously down at the tub of popcorn. 

“No, I DON’T...Anyway, you’re one to talk! What about you, Beel?! You’re here too!” He accused his younger brother. “A movie marathon means there’s going to be popcorn.” Beel explained as if Mammon was dumb. 

“You’re tellin’ me you’re just here for the food, beggin’ the human for treats like some kind of dog?!” Mammon shouted irritably. “All I know is that once we start watching, I get to start eating. So, hurry it up!” Beel started to sound grumpy. 

“Ugh, this is so stupid that it’s...it’s unreal. Why am I stuck watching this too…” Mammon complained as Lily tugged on the sleeve of his jacket, he was standing in front of the TV and they were ready to turn on the movie. 

Lily was fascinated, she didn’t know much about these brother’s she lived with yet but she could swear this series was written about them. She almost said something but then refrained, she didn’t want to come off as naive or stupid again. Mammon wouldn’t keep still after they finished the second volume. 

“Wh...seriously?! He’s finally reunited with her, only to find out that she’s dead?! No...that can’t be! Can’t he, like, use some magic or somethin’ to bring her back to life…?! Don’t you dare die, Geldie! It can’t end like this,it just can’t…! He’s gonna find a way to save Geldie, right?! What do you think? Please...please say he saves her…!” He complained about the cliffhanger ending. Lily was surprised to see him get so emotional, it was just fictional right? 

“If you want to know what happens, you’ll have to keep watching.” Beel said around a mouthful of popcorn. He’d been eating at a rate of five buckets of popcorn per DVD and Lily was amazed but thankful that his jaws were fixated on the popcorn. 

When they took another break after volume five Mammon was a sobbing mess. Lily had tried her best not to stare, this had been a very revealing day. She didn’t realize Demon’s could be so sensitive. Getting up for a box of tissue, Lily offered it to Mammon. No thank you was forthcoming as he snatched the box and blew his nose. Lily grimaced,  _ ugh...Demons.. _ she thought to herself. Even so, the more time she spent with Mammon the more comfortable she became. No matter how rude he was, how harshly he spoke to her at times he felt warm and safe, like an old blanket from your childhood wrapped around you. 

Lily wasn’t accustomed to human contact, she could remember vividly the last time she’d received a hug. It was from her Father, the day before he disappeared from her life. Even so, sharing her blanket and pillow fort with these two Demon’s felt good. She knew she was probably an idiot for thinking so, she’d become so deprived, so lonely, was she just desperate for a connection? She tried to push these thoughts from her mind as they pushed on with their marathon. 

When it was all over, Mammon was having another fit over the storyline. “Seriously, what’s wrong with them? They’re brothers, aren’t they? Couldn’t one of them have done something to stop it from coming to this? I mean, sure, maybe the Lord of Emptiness himself deserves some of the blame too. But even so, I can’t believe they’d abandon their brother like that.” he frowned.

Beel had suddenly looked thoughtful and Lily thought maybe even a bit sad, or was it guilt? The marathon was over and the popcorn had run out awhile ago so Beel stood and left without even a goodnight. 

“Is he okay?” Lily asked as her door shut behind the large Demon. Mammon looked at her, a bit confused, “Huh? Beel?” he asked, staring at the closed door. “Yeah, it’s Beel, he’ll be fine.” Mammon said but Lily didn’t think he sounded convinced himself. Lily made another mental note for her journal. 

“Okay, let’s go.” Lily said, standing and stretching. “What?! Now?!” Mammon exclaimed. “Sure. While it’s fresh on my mind.” she answered, leaving her room and heading towards Levi’s.

“Wait a minute.” Mammon growled, turning her around at the top of the stairs. Mammon proceeded to quiz Lily on the basics of the characters and plot. Seeming satisfied with her answers, Mammon said, “You may seem like an airhead, but I’ve gotta admit, you did pretty well. I’d say you should be able to convince Levi that ya know your stuff at this point.”

“...Hey, human.” Levi suddenly came out of his room, spooking the two of them together. 

“Ah, well speak of the devil…” Mammon quipped. 

“I heard what you’re up to, human. Seems that you’re trying to suck up to me so I’ll like you.” Leviathan said in an accusing manner as he glowered at them. 

“Whaddya mean? Who told you that?” Mammon demanded to know. 

Levi crossed his arms, “It’s no use playing dumb. I heard it from Lucifer.”

“Lucifer? How the hell does he end up hearing every single thing that gets said around here?” Mammon said, no shortage of frustration in his voice. Lily had a feeling it wasn’t just about this. 

“That’s not important.” Levi interrupted. “ You know, I’ve heard it said that the time a fool spends thinking is WASTED time. I think that applies here. You're lucky to have so much time on your hands that you can sit around thinking up schemes like this. There’s so much anime I need to watch, so many figurines and trading cards I need to organize, so many games I need to play just sitting there piles up...As much as I wish I could watch a marathon of every TSL DVD, I don’t have the time...So, why do YOU get to have so much free time? It’s so not fair.”  Lily was becoming used to Levi’s monologues at this point and didn’t even feel surprised by it. 

Mammon scoffed and rolled his eyes, “ Ah! I was waiting for him to say that. Levi’s signature line. It’s so not fair.” Mammon mocked. “Shut up, Mammon. You’re an idiot.” Levi growled.

“You know, Levi, you need to start showin’ your older brother some more respect!” Mammon said, getting in Levi’s face. Lily began to worry about this argument escalating. 

“Anyways, I don’t know what it is you’re plotting, but I’m not about to get all buddy-buddy with some human normie. Understand? I’m not like Mammon. Get that through your head.” Levi said, turning his attention on Lily. 

“Hey! It’s not like I’m buddy-buddy with this human, either! My body obeys the orders on its own, whether I like it or not. Like when I’m told “stay” or “go home” and stuff, it’s not my fault!” Mammon suddenly switched to a defensive position as he rejected Lily right in front of her. Lily had heard it before but she thought maybe something had changed after the marathon and it hurt. It was stupid, why would she care? But it didn’t matter if it was stupid or not, because the truth was, it hurt her. 

“So don’t go getting any ideas in your head, human.” Levi basically snarled. 

“Hey! Don’t just ignore me!” Mammon shouted. 

“Let’s compete to see who the bigger TSL fan is..!” Lily found herself blurting out before she even finished a thought. Mammon and Levi both turned to her in surprise. 

“ ...what? Where did that come from? Do you seriously think you could beat me in a competition involving TSL? Haha, that’s hilarious! Lolololol. As if I’d actually accept a challenge like that, I mean, I already know what the outcome would be.” Levi scoffed after he’d finished his laugh, which seemed fake and put on to Lily. 

“Afraid of losing?” Lily asked, she really didn’t know what she was doing but this tactic had worked with Mammon so she’d try it on Levi too. It seemed to her as if these Demons acted like twelve year old boys half the time anyway, so it was no surprise to her that she could goad them like one too. 

“Excuse me? Did you process anything I just said? Where are you getting this idea that I might actually lose to you?” Levi growled, suddenly seeming more dangerous than before. It was hard to remember at times that he was a dangerous demon like everyone else and not just some super nerd. 

“I knew it. You ARE afraid, then?” Lily goaded him, faking a confidence she did not feel.

“Excuse me? EXCUSE ME?! Are you processing ANYTHING I’m saying here?!” Levi was shouting now and Mammon had moved between his brother and his foolish human. 

“Calm down Levi.” Mammon warned.

“That’s okay, I won’t tell anyone that you’re afraid of having a rival.” Lily said sweetly. 

“Fine! I accept your challenge. We’ll compete to see which one of us loves TSL more, you or me.” Levi growled with irritation and Mammon still stood between his brother and his human. “Just one thing, though, if you lose, you might never make it back to the human world alive.. But you still want to do this, right? Okay. “ Levi laughed in a way that made Lily wonder if he was a bit unhinged. So it was agreed that the Student Council would host a pop trivia contest between Lily and Leviathan at RAD when classes resumed. 

**Lily’s Daily Journal - Day 9**

_ I’ve been in the Devildom for over a week now. If I stop to think about my situation for too long..it’s still so unreal, yet I’m forced into a daily routine like my life hasn’t been turned upside down. I know I’ll find no sympathy here in the company of Demons. The other exchange students might take pity on me but I don’t think they can help me either. I haven’t had a chance to have a private conversation with any of them yet.  _

_ My prank with the help of Karasu was successful, I think Asmodeus will stop messing with me now. He’s definitely been acting as if I don’t exist since and that’s just fine with me.  _

_ I have one whole day tomorrow before classes resume. I won’t risk trying to get into the attic until I have the soundtrack. Maybe Lucifer will think I’ve given up on it. I could be dashing headfirst into my doom but there are so many mysteries here and I can’t ignore the tug inside me that tells me they have something to do with my reason for being here.  _

_ Clues… _

_ A strange light in the forest _ _   
_ _ A bank account created before I was born, Barbatos? _ _   
_ _ A secret in the attic? _ _   
_ _ A consistent feeling of dejavu? _ _   
_ _ Beels strange behavior and the missing brother? _

  
  


Mammon stood outside Lily’s door, his hand hovering mid-air, hesitating to knock. With a sigh his hand dropped and looking around to make sure once again no one else was near, he put his ear against her door to listen. There wasn’t much to hear other than the soft scratch of graphite on paper. Mammon rolled his eyes, his human was such a good girl, he thought as he pictured her with her lavender hair tucked behind small ears as she studied at her table. 

Leviathan was playing a FPS on his computer, aggressively killing zombies to let off some of his frustrations. That damn human, who did she think she was? Did she really think a normie like her could just come here and disrupt his life this way? Challenging him with that smart little mouth of hers, with those plump...soft looking lips...No! What was he thinking?! Ah! He really hated that normie. Was she trying to replace him as TSL’s biggest fan?! What a joke! That would never happen. He’d never allow it. 

Asmo was gently brushing his nighttime serum over his face while admiring himself in the mirror. He had to admit that the salon did an excellent job recovering his hair. Just thinking about that putrid shade of green in his gorgeous locks got him angry all over again. He suppressed the urge to make a wrinkle inducing scowl. The gall of that human. He vowed that he wouldn’t waste any more precious time on her. It didn’t matter how cute she was, or that fact he wanted to paint her nails or dress her up. She. Was. Not. Worth it. He told himself. She didn’t appreciate his beauty. She’d been in the bath with him for Diavolo’s sake! That should have been enough for any normal mortal to be passing out in delirious delight, but no, she’d used it as an opportunity to accost him?! Since Lucifer would kill him if he tried to teach the girl a lesson, he had to make due with just pretending that she didn’t exist...starting now..he thought to himself as he pushed all thoughts of Lily out of his head.


	12. A Dog's Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily makes some friends, who end up being a bit possessive.

Lily slept in the next day, mildly surprised that there were no demons around waking her up or making ridiculous demands of her. It would be wonderful to have a day to herself, so she made it a goal to avoid all and any demons today, if she could help it. She’d already missed breakfast so she wandered into the kitchen and rummaged until she found some edible looking fruit. The kitchen was pretty bare and she wondered if anyone was out shopping today. 

The house was so still and quiet that she wondered if everyone was out or just holed up in their rooms, she’d never experienced the house this quiet before. She made a mental list of things to do as she risked taking a bath in the upstairs bathroom for a change. Even after a long relaxing soak in the bath, Lily returned to her room without running into anyone. Once she was dressed she thought she might explore, maybe she wouldn’t need that soundtrack after all if everyone was out. However, that idea was dashed as she saw Lucifer disappear up the stairs when she exited her room. _Well scratch that idea_ , she thought to herself. Lily had not spent much time outside so she decided she would explore the grounds of the House of Lamentation. 

There was no sun in the Devildom, something that Lily still had not gotten used to. She missed the feeling of sunlight on her skin. The Devildom just had different stages of dark, from pitch black to the warm glowing reddish hue of sunset, as if the sun was somewhere far far away and could only light up the skies of the Devildom with an angry glow. This reminded Lily of what she’d learned in History of the Devildom 101 so far, that light didn’t exist here naturally but it had become entangled..

There was an expansive garden behind the house and behind that access to the forest that surrounded the whole city. Lily was only just learning about plant life in the Devildom so as alluring as some of the plants were in the yard, she resisted the urge to touch or smell. It was early yet so the garden was still cast in a cool blue light. It reminded her of the moon yet there was none in the sky that she could see. 

Lily walked leisurely through the gardens, enjoying the peace and quiet. She felt like she had gone from a world of silence to a world of chaos and both were equally as lonely. But right now, she found some solace in being alone, time where she could breathe and hear herself think. She began to hum and sing to herself as she found a soft spot of grass to lay down in. 

_Smile though your heart is aching  
_ _Smile even though it's breaking  
_ _When there are clouds in the sky you'll get by  
_ _If you smile through your fear and sorrow  
_ _Smile and maybe tomorrow  
_ _You'll see the sun come shining through  
_ _For you…_

A soft, clear voice drew Karasu into the garden. He perched in a branch of a tree and tilted his corvid head as he listened to the oblivious human sing. What a sweet songbird she was too. Her song was like a siren song and he was not the only one to be drawn in by it. Karasu flapped his wings in alarm when Cerberus came trotting into the garden, it’s three heads roving as a giant chain dragged behind, shackled to the left hind leg of the beast. 

Karasu quickly calculated the remaining length of the chain and how quickly humans could move. _Well, it was nice knowing ya human._ Was his conclusion, he thought to himself and decided to sit and wait to see how it all turned out. 

_Light up your face with gladness  
_ _Hide every trace of sadness  
_ _Although a tear maybe ever so near  
_ _That's the time you must keep on trying  
_ _Smile- what's the use of crying  
_ _You'll find that life is still worth while  
_ _If you just smile  
_ _Oh that's the time you must keep on trying_

Lily continued to lay in the soft grass, oblivious to her surroundings as she sang. Ignorant of the audience she had gained. Not noticing the subtle sound of the chain sliding over grass and gravel. Until something hot and wet, fell, like a fat drop of rain onto Lily’s face. opening her eyes Lily found herself staring into the face of not one monstrous head, but three. It didn’t take Lily long to realize she was in a spot of trouble. The beast was so close she couldn’t see the whole of it but it looked like a dog, a giant...three headed...demon dog...that was beginning to growl at her. 

“There...there...calm down…” Lily spoke and the demon dog cocked one of its heads at her voice, one looked steady into her eyes and the third was still growling. She knew she was completely at the mercy of this beast. When she stopped speaking, the other head began growling again. Lily wracked her brains for an idea to get herself out of this, “why didn’t anyone tell me that they kept a giant Cerberus in their garden!” Lily exclaimed, falling into her habit of talking to herself. The demon dog seemed to pause again and made a weird whine when she said Cerberus. Now Lily had only said that because that’s what this beast reminded her of, the old myth about Cerberus the demon dog that guarded the gates of hell. But could that actually be this beast's name?

“Cerberus? Is that your name?” she asked the Demon dog as if she was speaking to a puppy in the human realm. One of the heads whined and thumped its tail on the ground as it sat but one head was still growling. So Lily did the only thing she could think of and just kept singing. Closing her eyes again, she tried to keep her breathing calm and her voice from trembling. Maybe it would lose interest and go away, if not she couldn’t think of a way to keep it from eating her if that’s what it wanted. 

_Smile what's the use of crying  
_ _You'll find that life is still worth while  
_ _If you just smile_

She could feel one of the heads getting closer, it’s hot breath on her face. It’s breath didn’t stink like a normal dog, no it’s breath smelt like fire and brimstone. She could feel the vibrations through the ground as it stretched out and laid next to her. She kept singing. 

_Smile though your heart is aching  
_ _Smile even though it's breaking  
_ _When there are clouds in the sky you'll get by  
_ _If you smile through your fear and sorrow  
_ _Smile and maybe tomorrow  
_ _You'll see the sun come shining through  
_ _For you…_

Peeking her eyes open, one of the heads licked her face. She laughed and lifted her shirt to wipe away the slime, that was pretty gross, she thought to herself. Slowly standing, Lily watched the beast carefully but so far the grumpiest head had stopped growling. One head looked happy and the other was just always watching carefully. Lily tried not to tremble when she held her hand out and all three heads took turns smelling her. “Well it was nice to meet you…” Lily said with a smile, “But I better get back..” she told the beast as she took a step backwards from it. 

The beast wasn’t having that though as one head whined and another growled. The middle head pushed her with its muzzle causing her to fall backwards on her bum. Lily tried to stand up again only to be corralled again as the large beast turned once, twice around her and flopped down in the grass to sleep. Lily found herself trapped at the beasts side, when she tried to climb over a paw a low growl had her stopping in her tracks. Lily could only hope the demon dog was keeping her as a nap partner and not a treat it was saving for later...or a chew toy for that matter..

Lily couldn’t help but sigh and smile at the big brute. He was very soft and fluffy once you got over the terrifying size and blazing red eyes. She carefully reached behind an ear to scratch and pet. It was the least intimidating of the three heads and the beast thumped its tail and began..purring? Human realm dogs certainly didn’t purr but she didn’t know any other way to describe the sound it was making. Lily made herself comfortable, sitting in the grass leaning against the beast. She decided she would bide her time until the beast was in a deep sleep and then she’d make her escape. That was her plan, but leaning against its warm fluffy side, she found herself slipping off to sleep herself. Karasu had watched on in disbelief the entire time. This human was amusing to say the least. He ruffled his feathers and adjusted his perch as he settled in to watch over the human and see what amusing thing might happen next. 

  
  


**The Demon Brothers**

**> Mammon: Oi! Which one of you has my human?**

**< Asmodeus: I’ve been at the spa since early this morning.** **  
****> Mammon: Did ya take her with you?** **  
****< Asmodeus: As if. (Rolling-Eyes Demon Sticker)**

**< Satan: I’ve been at the Library. Isn’t it your job to keep track of her?**

**> Mammon: I slept in! I couldn’t find her when I woke up.** **  
****< Lucifer: If something has happened to her Mammon...**

**< Leviathan: ROFL #Mammonisdead** **  
****> Mammon: Well if she’s not in the house she must be outside..** **  
****> Beelzebub: I was working out. What’s going on?**

**> Mammon: Are you home? Help me find the human Beel.**

**> Mammon: I’ll give you the leftovers I was savin’** **  
****…**

**> Mammon: Beel?** **  
****< Beelzebub: Found her….she might be dead.**

**< Lucifer: MAMMON?!** **  
****> Mammon: She ain’t! I’d feel that from the pact right?!** **  
****< Satan: Theoretically...but this is you we’re talking about..** **  
****> Mammon: Oi! Shaddap!** **  
****< Lucifer: Beelzebub, explain yourself.** **  
****  
***** Beelzebub uploads a photo to the chat. The photo is taken from his bedroom window overlooking the garden. There the brothers can clearly see Cereberus sleeping with a lifeless looking Lily resting against the beast, one of her arms is hanging over a paw at an awkward angle.***

**< Leviathan: Mammon weren’t you supposed to warn the human not to go out today?** **  
****> Mammon: No one reminded me! It ain’t my fault!** **  
****> Satan: Well you better rescue her then.** **  
****> Mammon: (Scared Demon Sticker) It’s Lucifer’s Mutt!** **  
****< Lucifer: I just left the house but I will turn around now. ** **  
****< Lucifer: Mammon I expect that human to be in one piece when I arrive. ** **  
****> Mammon: Beel..Levi..help me!** **  
****< Beelzebub: No. I’m too hungry.** **  
****< Leviathan: As if.** **  
****< Lucifer: Beelzebub help Mammon. Now.** **  
****> Beelzebub: Okay. (Saluting Demon Sticker)** **  
****> Mammon: Oi! What’s up with that Beel?!  
** **< Lucifer: You too Leviathan.  
** **< Leviathan: (Shocked Demon Sticker)**

  
Mammon was fastest and made it into the garden first but he kept a healthy distance. Beel met him next, looking grumpy with his hands in his pockets. “Let's hurry. I’m hungry.” Beel said as Leviathan slowly made his way over to his brothers.

“Ugh! You and that human suck! I’m missing a raid because of this!” Leviathan hissed under his breath. 

“Both of you shut up!” Mammon snapped and then realizing his mistake lowered his voice again. “We need to figure out how to get her outta there.”

Leviathan rolled his eyes. “Let’s just wait until Lucifer arrives, he can handle Cerberus easily.”

“No. I don’t want to wait. I’m hungry.” Beel repeated. 

“That’s just too bad Beel!” Mammon shouted, irritated with his brothers. A low rumbling made the three of them turn and face a grumpy demon dog that had just been woken up by Mammon’s loud mouth. 

“Mammon you idiot!” Levi shouted, not even trying to be quiet at this point. 

Lily blinked the sleep from her eyes as a low rumbling woke her, she was surprised she fell asleep so soon after waking, she must have been more tired than she realized. Shouting caught her attention as she sat up fully to see Mammon and Levi having a shouting match, Beel was just staring at the ground and Lily imagined he might start eating the grass he looked that hungry. 

Standing, Lily stretched and waved to them with a smile. Levi and Beel stood there with their mouths open, gawking while Mammon frantically waved for her to come his way. “GET OVER HERE! ARE YA AN IDIOT OR WHAT?!” Mammon shouted at her.

Cerberus did not appreciate the tone of the Demon who seemed to be directing its aggression towards the fragile little two legs it had claimed for its own. Standing to its full height, the demon dog stood protectively over Lily, standing her head barely reached its shoulder. One of the heads nudged her closer to itself partially hiding her behind a fluffy foreleg. The Brothers were dumbfounded by Cerberus’s actions. “I don’t get it.” Levi shrugged, his voice back down to a whisper. “Why hasn’t he eaten her yet?”

“Oi! Don’t talk like that!” Mammon shouted, causing another loud warning growl to issue forth from Cerberus. “Shut up you idiot!” Leviathan hissed. “You’re stupid voice is aggravating him!”

During the standoff, Beel got back on the chat. 

**The Demon Brothers**

**> Beelzebub: Well she’s alive.** **  
****< Asmodeus: Hmph. For some reason I’m not surprised.**

**< Satan: Maybe she’s like a cat...multiple lives..**

**< Lucifer: How badly is she injured?**

**> Beelzebub: She looks fine from here.** **  
****< Lucifer: Explain.** **  
****> Beelzebub: We can’t get close to her. **

**< Lucifer: I’m almost there.**

  
Lily was fruitlessly trying to calm down Cereberus as Mammon continued to agitate the beast by trying to maneuver closer so he could try to dash in and grab Lily without getting one of them bit. He was mostly worried that if he attempted it, Lily would end up being the one hurt and she’d have a much harder time recovering than he would. He was a demon, he shouldn’t really care, after all, one well placed bite from Cerberus and he’d be free of his pact with the troublesome human. But she was too good, too sweet, she didn’t deserve that. 

Lily was afraid that Cereberus was going to attempt to tear Mammon to shreds when Lucifer alighted in the yard. She had to suck in a breath at the sight of him. In her Demon Biology 101 class they had briefly mentioned that some demons had more than one form. She knew that Karasu had at least two forms. However, she had not imagined what any of the brother’s might look like in a more demonic form. Lucifer was so beautifully ice under normal circumstances but in this form, he was truly frightening yet still had a beautiful majesty about him. He really was the personification of pride. Lily only had moments to take in his demon form because as soon as Lucifer’s feet hit the grass, his four black wings folded in and his appearance changed back to the visage she was accustomed to. 

“CERBERUS SIT!” Lucifer commanded with a firm authority. “Heh. So your name is Cerberus?” Lily smiled and patted his side. Lily once more tried to walk away from the beast but one of the heads pushed her back again with a whine. 

“Look here ya dumb mutt!” Mammon growled as he started towards Lily, now that Lucifer was here to keep his dog in line. “That’s MY HUMAN! Not yours!” 

Cerberus growls viciously, and one of the heads snapped its teeth towards Mammon in response. Pinching his nose. “Mammon go inside. Now.” Lucifer commands. Mammon looked torn, an argument at the tip of his tongue but instead he just cursed and was inside the house, watching from the window quicker than eyes could follow. “Lily. Come.” Lucifer uses the same commanding tone on Lily as he had on Cerberus. This time Lily was able to walk to Lucifer’s side, leaving the one head whining pitifully. Lily looked at Lucifer pleadingly. “Do you have a treat for him?” she asked. Lucifer sighed and suppressed an eye roll, even so, three large treats appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Lucifer handed one to Lily and together they approached Cerberus. 

“Down.” Lucifer commanded and Cerberus went from sitting on his haunches to laying on his stomach. Lucifer tossed the two treats out to the middle and right heads whom snapped the treats out of the air. While Lily helds hers out in her hands to the third head, the happier of the three you could say. Lucifer was about to stop her, the idiot obviously wanted to lose her hands, he thought to himself. But the third head just bumped the treat out of her hands with his nose before gobbling it up off the ground. Lily giggled and this time Lucifer was unable to suppress the eye roll that she elicited. 

“You’re such a good boy!” she cooed. Lucifer looked scandalized, the way she was talking to Cerberus and he completely missed Leviathan sneaking a shot on his D.D.D. before he scampered back to his room. The one head almost knocked Lily off her feet again as it nuzzled her and she offered it a kiss on its nose as she held onto the head. The other two heads noticed this treatment and wanted it for their own, the middle head pushed the other aside and Lily gave him a kiss too. Then the third head snapped its teeth impatiently at the middle, wanting its turn. “No no!” Lily scolded, and Lucifer practically choked on thin air when the third head lowered its ears and gave a pitiful whine until Lily offered it a kiss as well. 

  
Back inside, Lily collapsed onto the couch. She barely had time to take a breath when Mammon was all over her, checking her for injuries. “Are ya hurt human?” he asked, not waiting for an answer. “I’m fine.” she laughed, pushing him away from her. 

“Oi! What were you thinkin’?! You’re the most frustrating...most idiotic human I’ve ever come across!” he was suddenly shouting. Lily glared at Mammon not appreciating his sudden change in mood. “Well no one told me you kept a giant demon dog in the garden!” Lily said, defending herself. “There was no one around when I woke up to ask permission either.”

“OW!” Mammon complained when Lucifer grabbed an ear and hauled him away from Lily so she could have some breathing room. 

“Cerberus typically guards the tomb but this was his designated day to get some fresh air.” Lucifer explained. “Mammon should have been with you this morning to prevent such a near disaster.” he sighed, glaring at his younger brother. Mammon crossed his arms. “Well it’s her own fault,” he insisted, “she knows she’s not supposed to go anywhere without me.”

“Regardless, we were lucky that Cerberus took a liking to Lily. Unprecedented as it is.” Lucifer said, eyeing Lily curiously. 

Lily giggled. “Cerberus is pretty cute..once you get past the terrifying part. Heheh.” 

Lucifer narrowed his eyes. “Cerberus is not cute.” Mammon threw up his hands. “I told ya! She’s nuts!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics: Smile by Nat King Cole


	13. The G.O.A.T.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily goes up against TSL's biggest fan.

Lily yawned, feeling tired as she shuffled towards her first class of the day. Since the Cerberus incident, Mammon had been sticking to her side like glue. He basically camped out in her room, brought an extra charger for his D.D.D. and put his own toothbrush in her bathroom. When it was time for bed and he tried to sleep in her bed with her she had to use her pact to force him out. When she said something along the lines of “I thought Asmo was the resident pervert here.” Mammon had turned so red and flustered and left her room in a huff all while muttering complaints and denials. Lily had only been able to enjoy the peace for a few minutes before Mammon barged in once more this time he had an air mattress that he flung on the floor next to her bed.    
  
“You have air mattresses in the Devildom?” Lily had asked. Mammon had looked at her like she was an idiot. “Duh..they’re nice for camping..and besides! Who do you think you’re talkin’ about huh?! If it exists in one of the three realms you better believe I got at least one of ‘em.”

“You camp…?” was the only thing Lily had gotten from that conversation. “Do I look like someone who camps?!” was Mammon’s only response and that was the end of that. Lily had considered ordering him out of her room altogether but for a reason not fully understood by herself, she let him stay.

Now she regretted that decision because he chatted ALL NIGHT, mostly complaining, mostly complaining about HER. Lily yawned again. She hoped she’d be in good enough shape by the time classes were over, she had that trivia quiz with Levi after all.

“Hello there, Lily. I heard about what’s happening, It seems you and Levi are going to have a little competition.” Satan’s voice caught her attention and she saw Satan and Beelzebub standing together near her classroom. 

“Are you hoping to find out what’s in the attic room? Is that it?” Beel asked. 

Lily hoped Lucifer wouldn’t hear about this but she wasn’t a skilled liar, so she told them the simple truth. 

“Yeah. I am.” she stated, trying to fake that confidence she never felt around these demons.

Beelzebub looked surprised by Lily’s honesty, “Huh, You don’t say...I’ll let you in on a nice piece of information. Levi is the demon of envy. If you can work him into a jealous frenzy, he’ll lose control of himself. Then he’ll be guaranteed to slip up somehow, giving you an opening you can exploit. Just one thing, though. If Levi does lose control of himself, your life will also be in danger.” It was Lily’s turn to be surprised, Beelzebub had never been so open with information before. She couldn’t help but feel suspicious but instead of voicing her doubts, she gave him a simple thank you instead. 

Beelzebub gave her a serious look, ““If you want to thank me, give me food.You can buy me a megaton-size bowl of pasta with mixed entrails. And I’d like that topped with sliced anaconda, fried tarantula, and Nile crocodile brains.” Lily couldn’t help the laugh that escaped, now that sounded like the Avatar of Gluttony that she was used to. 

“I’ll give you a piece of advice, too.” Satan said, stepping forward. “The DVD version of TSL is up to season 7 now. That’s the most recent release. Meanwhile, the original book version is up to volume 8 at this point. Volume 9 of the book isn’t out yet. But if you want to know what’s going to happen in it, you should ask Simeon.”

Lily was curious as to why Simeon would even know this. TSL didn’t seem like a diversion for angels..but what did she really know? Nothing. That’s what. She reminded herself to let go of all her previous assumptions and preconceived notions. 

“Why are you giving me free advice?” She asked Satan, she’d already figured out that he was the sort of demon that didn’t do things for “free” or without something to gain from it. “No reason. Don’t read too much into it. I enjoy making things difficult for Lucifer, that’s all.” Satan replied with his usual smile and a casual shrug. Lily, not for the first time, wondered what was up between Lucifer and Satan.

Lily was surprised to see Mammon in her second class of the day, he had not attended this class last week. The class was  _ Intro to Magical Theory. _ “Hey..what are you doing here?” she asked, as she sat next to him. Mammon’s face flushed and he looked around before he replied, “eh..they kicked me out of spellcraft 101 again and are making me take this dumb course all over.” he complained. Lily was confused. “But you’re a demon...don’t you all do magic?” she asked.

Mammon rolled his eyes. “No, that's not how it works, human. Ugh. You don’t know anything. Always wasting my time with explanations..hmph.” Lily just kept looking at him expectantly until he said, “Look, demons have their own unique set of powers...it’s too much work to explain everything. But our powers ain’t the same as magic ok? That’s one of the reasons Lucifer is so powerful. Not only is he a very powerful demon but he’s also really good with magic..if he was human he’d be on par with Solomon, that’s how good he is.”

“Oh..” Lily was thinking. “I see. Well hopefully you can help me since you’ve taken the class before, I’m sure it’ll be over my head.” she smiled sweetly at him.

Mammon had expected her to make fun of him for having to take the class over but here she was being sweet and asking for his help. Gosh she was such a cute idiot….his cheeks flushed and he looked away with a shrug. “Yeah maybe, if I have time.”

“Oh! Guess what?!” Lily changed the subject and told Mammon about what Beel and Satan had told her that morning. 

“So, let me get this straight...You’re tellin’ me that Beel and Satan both gave you hints for how to defeat Levi? Ya don’t say...How VERY interesting...Well, ya know why they did that though, right? It's all because I’m lookin’ after ya. You’ve got Mammon to thank for this!” Mammon beamed after listening to Lily’s tale. “Okay, here’s the deal. Those two are given’ you special treatment because they know that I’m the one in charge of you. They want me to be pleased with them, ya see! So, whaddya think about that? NOW you get it, dontcha!? It’s clear how important I am, and how much my younger brothers respect me!”

“Uh..yeah I suppose. That makes sense.…” Lily wasn’t sure if Mammon was trying to convince her or himself the way he went on. 

“Wh...hey! Come on, it feels weird when you agree with me like that. I mean, doncha think you should've taken that opportunity to put me down or somethin’?” Mammon said, looking at Lily suspiciously. Lily only blinked at him. “Eh, whatever...Just let this be a learnin’ experience, From now on, you oughta respect me like they do! Ugh, forget it. Let’s just get down to business. You and I need to figure out what our strategies are gonna be with this Levi thing. First off, what Beel told you is right. If you can make Levi jealous, he’s bound to lose his cool. Though there’s no guarantee he won’t kill ya if that happens. But that’s just how its gotta be.” Mammon shrugged as if it was no big deal. Lily wondered, not for the first time, what she was even doing. 

“There’s no way you’ll beat Levi in a competition over who’s the bigger TSL nerd, Not if you fight fair. You’d best face up to the fact that this is gonna involve a little risk. ….so, we’ve gotta figure out how you’re gonna manage to make him jealous. He may be called the Avatar of Envy, but it’s hard to make him give in to it. Instead of gettin’ super jealous of you, he’ll get all negative about his own situation. He’ll start talkin’ about how it’s “not fair” and you’re “lucky” and stuff. You’re not gonna be able to get him to lose his cool just by doing a little bragging. No, you’re gonna have to do something’ to make him REAL jealous. So jealous that he nearly pops a blood vessel. Hmmm...Maybe we oughta ask someone for advice…” Mammon rambled on. 

“Okay. I’ll talk to Simeon like Satan suggested, he’s in my next class.” Lily suggested as the room began to fill with demons and class began. 

Later that evening when all classes were concluded and the student council had finished their business, the assembly hall was open to any students who wanted to watch the TSL showdown between the Avatar of Envy and the human exchange student. Lily was relieved that not many had come. It was primarily the student council, including Diavolo and Barbatos. Simeon, Luke and Solomon came as well. There was a smattering of other students, mainly friends and admirers of Asmodeus, who had taken it upon himself to host this event despite the fact he wasn’t talking to Lily at the moment. 

He had no microphone but was somehow projecting his voice across the assembly hall. “All right, everyone! Finally, the wait is over! It’s time for Devil’s Trivia Showdown, the quiz show that pits demon against human! Today our competitors will be testing their knowledge regarding a super-famous, super-popular fantasy series. One that’s known by young and old alike...The Tale of the Seven Lords. Now it’s time to introduce our two competitors. First, he’s a demon who freely admits to being a giant TSL nerd! Meet Levi!”  There was a smattering of claps, whoops and cat-calls with Levi’s introduction, mostly from Asmo’s crowd. 

Levi stood up, looking too damn serious, at least that’s what Lily thought when he said, “I am the G.O.A.T. None can oppose me!” giving Lily a serious glare. 

“Whoa. He’s really serious about this.” Lily said to herself. 

“And his challenger claims to have been introduced to TSL only very recently after watching the DVDs! Say hello to Lily!” Asmo said and Lily could detect a hint of snark in his tone. Sure enough the peanut gallery behind Asmo didn’t cheer at all. 

“Hi.” Lily stood and waved quickly before sitting again. 

“Go Lily!” Luke shouted while Simeon clapped and Solomon whistled. She smiled, at least she could count on her fellow exchange students for a bit of support. 

Levi turned to Lily once more. “You know, I don’t even care about this whole competition thing, honestly. I mean, I already know how this is going to end. I’m only doing this because it gives me a chance to show off my encyclopedic knowledge of TSL to everyone.”

“Serving as judge for today’s competition is our very own Demon Lord himself, Diavolo!” Asmo introduced their Lord with a flourish and this time the crowd roared with applause, small as the crowd was. 

Diavolo of course gave everyone his signature smile, “Hello there, everyone. Good to see you.”

“Color commentary will be provided by Satan, Avatar of Wrath. But a good commentator needs to keep a cool head. I wonder, is he really up to the task?” Asmo said, wow, Lily could barely believe the theatrics going on. She just wanted to get this over with. This secret better be worth the hassle she thought to herself. 

“And your host for the day is none other than yours truly, Asmodeus. The demon who can make you swoon simply by whispering into your ear. You all know me, you all love me.” he crooned to the crowd. Lily even thought she saw someone faint in the back. 

“All right, enough. This is gettin’ ridiculous. Let’s get this show on the road!” Mammon grumbled, loudly. For once Lily was in agreement with the Avatar of Greed. 

“I thought you hated wasting your time at events like this, Mammon. Yet here you are. Truly, wonders never cease.” Lucifer smiled, teasing his brother. 

“Shut up, Lucifer. I’ve got some free time, that’s all.” Mammon snapped back. Lily thought that Lucifer must have been in a good mood because she couldn’t imagine him letting Mammon talk to him like that otherwise.

“Well then, we’ll start with you, Lily.” Asmo said, looking down his nose at her. “Get ready for TSL Quiz question number one! The seven lords are all brothers, and each has a specific name that people know them by. In birth order, name the oldest, second oldest and third oldest lords.”

That’s easy. Lily thought to herself with a breath of relief as she stood to answer. “The Lord of Corruption, The Lord of Fools and The Lord of Shadows.”

“Well, how about that! You’re absolutely correct! Way to start the game off on the right foot, Lily!” Asmo began to really get into his role and forgot to be snarky to Lily. 

Levi scoffed, folding his arms, “Oh come on. Anybody could have gotten that one right.” he muttered annoyed. 

“All right, Leviathan. It’s your turn now. Here comes question number one! In what year did the Lord of Shadow build the Blue Palace for his imaginary mistress?” Asmo asked, turning to his brother. 

Levi answered without hesitation, “Year 693 of the ancient era.” Lily blinked, there was no way she would have gotten that question right. She really hoped the ace up her sleeve worked or else she was doomed. 

“Correct! What an impressive showing front he self-described TSL nerd!” Asmo announced. 

“In me you bear witness to a legend!” Levi announced dramatically. Lily and Mammon exchanged a look and had to cover their snickers that still didn’t go unnoticed by Levi who sent them death glares. 

“Even so, is it just me, or was that question a little too specific? Only a mega nerd would know that.” Satan commented with a frown. 

“Heheheh. This is shaping up to be quite entertaining, isn’t it, Lucifer?” Lord Diavolo asked the demon standing to his right. Lucifer smirked, “I’m glad you find it to your liking, Diavolo.”

“All right, back to you now, Lily! Get ready for TSL Quiz question number two! This sixth lord is the Lord of Flies, what does he love to eat more than anything else?”

Lily had to take a moment to think back on the DVD’s she watched and search her mind for the answer, Levi however was fidgeting like he wanted to blurt out the answer. 

“ a cursed goat tartare sandwich with cheese?” she finally answered. 

“Correct! Very impressive! That was a tough one! You really do know your stuff, don’t you?! Hmm..A cursed goat tartare sandwich with cheese...Is that sort of like a cheeseburger, more or less?” Asmo went on, loving the sound of his voice. 

“Hey, Beel, come on! Take a napkin to that stream of drool comin’ outta your mouth! It’s gettin’ all over my clothes!” Mammon was suddenly shouting and pushing his brother away from him. 

“Now back to Mr. Reliable himself. Leviathan! Here comes question number two! In the Tale of the Seven Lords Volume 3, page 724, what does the Lord of Fools say in the fifth line from the top?” Asmo asked the next question and Lily was shocked, she sure hoped she didn’t get any questions that specific. This time Levi only took maybe two seconds to answer. 

“Money is my dearest friend and closest companion. It’s everything to me. The blood bonds I share with my brothers are like the weak, wispy threads of a spider by comparison.” Levi answered with a smug look on his face. Mammon also had a strange look on his face as if those were the most beautiful words he’d ever heard. 

“Amazing! That is correct! An exact match word for word!” Asmo exclaimed. 

  
“The more I learn about the Lord of Fools, the clearer it is that he’s a total scumbag.” Satan commented. 

“...Hey, why does it feel like you’re insulting ME right now?” Mammon said, glaring at Satan. 

“All right, moving on..It’s your turn now, Lily! Say hello to question number three! This is regarding the fifth brother, the Lord of Lechery. Who does he love more than anyone else?” Asmo asked her. 

_ Another easy one, _ Lily thought to herself. She only had to look at Asmo, their very own resident Lord of Lechery for the answer. 

“Himself.” she answered confidently. 

Lily was beginning to wonder how these questions were selected because they were so obviously slanted in her favor, not that she was complaining but she didn’t know how either of them could win this way. Not to mention it wasn’t a fair game….but these were demons she dealing with. 

“Well, Well! Excellent! You are absolutely right! So the fourth lord loves himself above all else. I like that. Sounds like my kind of guy.” Asmodeus announced, fanning his face. 

“Come on, hurry up! Let’s go! It’s my turn now.” Levi growled impatiently. 

“Leviathan, you’ve gotten every single question correct thus far. But prepare yourself, because question number three is coming at you! In volume 4 of the DVD series, at exactly 159 minutes and 35 seconds in, what is the Lord of Masks holding in his left hand?” Asmo asked Levi. 

Lily thought this might be it, there was no way Levi knew this. It was so random and obscure. But again, Levi answered with almost no hesitation. 

“He’s holding a flower from a carnivorous grodoodle plant, grown by the Lord of Corruption.” Levi answered, even sounding bored while he did. 

“Excellent! That only flashed on screen for the briefest of moments and yet you still caught it! Amazing! Your knowledge truly is extensive! In fact, I’d even say it’s creepy!” Asmo said with a laugh, earning a scowl from Levi. 

“Hey, is it just me, or have all of my questions been way harder than Lily’s? Like, suspiciously harder, though they’re still so easy for me that I’m ready to fall asleep here. Anyway, How long are we going to keep this charade up? This is getting boring.” he complained. 

  
“Yep, I’d say it has.” Mammon agreed, “All right, Lily, it’s time to pull out the big guns! Let’s see how Levi here likes your trump card! Levi, you’re way too full of yourself. Which is why we’re about to reach inside ya, yank out that pride, and crush it like a bug!” Mammon announced confidently. 

“What…?” Levi asked, looking confused. 

“Well, well, interesting..” Diavolo was smiling like a fool, enjoying this more than anyone should. 

“All right, Lily. It’s time to pull out the big guns! Let’s see how Levi here likes your trump card!!” Mammon called out from across the crowd. 

  
“Wow! IT sounds to me like the gauntlet has just been thrown down! It would seem Lily has some sort of trump card to use against Leviathan. Perhaps now would be a good time to check in with our color commentator, Satan, what do you think this could be about?” Asmo asked colorfully. 

Satan stroked his chin with a smirk, “Well, it’s not at all surprising that Lily would come into this with a secret weapon. It seems that the advice I gave is about to pay some dividends. Excellent.”

“Just a minute…” Asmodeus’ gasped. “Satan, are you telling us that you provided aid to Lily? How very wicked of you!” he exclaimed in a suggestive way. “In any event, if Lily really does have a secret weapon, it could mean something that will make winning against Levi possible!

Perhaps we should hear what Lily’s opponent thinks about this. Tell me Levi, what’s running through your head right now?!” Asmo asked with great drama. 

“ROFLMAO! Loooooooooooooooooool!” Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Right...I have absolutely no idea what you’re saying! But clearly you don’t see this as a threat...Got it! So, what could this trump card of Lily’s be?! Let’s find out!” Asmo declared. 

Lily then proceeds to summarize the major plot developments in the as of yet unreleased TSL volume 9. By the time she’s finished, Levi is red faced and agitated more than she’s ever seen before. 

“wh...what? NO! That’s insane...the Lord of Masks wouldn’t do that to the Lord of Shadow. Lies, all of it! Pure hogwash! Don’t think you can fool me by making up random stuff like that!” Levi sputtered, standing up, his claws digging into the table. 

“hmm, Actually, Lily doesn’t appear to be lying as far as I can see.” Lord Diavolo announced. 

“Levi, you know as well as I do that Lord Diavolo has the ability to discern whether someone is telling the truth.” Satan reminded his brother. 

“B-But..no..! Everyone online has been talking about how the Lord of Masks and the Lord of Shadow are totally going to make up...what you said CAN'T happen! It...it just. CAN’T!” Levi was shouting and emotional now. 

“Huh, so all that stuff Simeon told you was true then? How about that? Still though, how is it that he knows all that?” Mammon said, scratching his head. 

“All right. um...Okay, I suppose that settles who the true TSL nerd is..” Asmodeus announced looking a bit confused. 

“I won’t stand for this! All you did was stay up one night marathoning the DVDs. The idea that someone like YOU could actually be a bigger TSL fan than me, its…its..” Levi was sputtering and his form was fluttering in and out, something Lily had never seen before. 

  
“Wh..Whoa, calm down there, Levi!” Mammon exclaimed, trying to get back to Lily’s side but there was a crowd between them now. 

“No...no, I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIIIS!” Levi yells as he transforms and flips over the table that separated him from Lily. 

“Uh oh… Lily, run! Get out of here!” Mammon shouted at her. 

Lily was staring at the feral and wild form of Leviathan, a long tail was lashing out and knocking over chairs. For a moment she was frozen before she started to back up. “Mammon...help!” she squeaked. She knew she should run but he was too close, there was no way she’d get away. 

“Hold on! I’m comin’.... Wh….D’AAAAH! Beel, you idiot! What’s the big idea of drippin' ice cream all over the floor?! You made me slip! Lily!...Dammit, I’m not gonna make it in time…” Mammon began to panic as Levi advanced on his human looking wild and crazed. 

  
“That’s enough. I believe you were going to settle this via a QUIZ, weren’t you ? Not through violence.” Lucifer was suddenly between Lily and Leviathan. All Lily could see was black feathers before her. She felt dizzy so close to the powerful aura that emanated from around Lucifer. 

“You’re out of control, Levi.” Lucifer scolded his younger brother in front of everyone. 

“L...Lucifer…” Levi slowly seemed to be coming to his senses. 

  
“Unbelievable! Just as Leviathan was about to strike who should step in and stop him but the one and only Lucifer himself! Simply incredible!” Asmodeus kept commenting on everything that was going on. 

“I haven’t seen you leap to someone’s rescue like that in quite some time, Lucifer.” Satan also commented, looking very surprised.

“Levi, go back to your room and cool off.” Lucifer ordered. Levi stood there staring blankly, his tail still thrashing as if he was caught between his rational and primal mind. 

“Levi? You heard what he said, right?” This time Lord Diavolo spoke, looking a lot less jovial than he had earlier, his face like stone. 

“...Yeah.” Levi hung his head and shuffled out of the assembly hall. Lily watched him go and couldn’t help but feel sorry for her part in all of this mess. 

“What is it, Mammon? You look like you want to say something.” Lucifer said after catching Mammon staring at him. 

“...No. I don’t wanna say nothin’” Mammon said, shaking his head and refusing to meet his brother’s eyes. 

  
“ So, what’re we going to do now? How are we supposed to have our competition without Levi?” Asmo complained, probably disappointed that his hosting was at an end. 

“I guess this means the competition ends in a draw. Neither one of them won.” Diavolo said with a shrug.

“Still, I have to say I find it surprising that you would go out of your way just to rescue a mere human, Lucifer. Very Surprising...don’t you agree, Mammon?” Satan was still fixated. 

“...Huh? Why’re ya askin’ me?” Mammon asked, looking distracted.   
“As the oldest, it is naturally my duty to clean up my younger siblings' messes.” Lucifer replied dryly. While Mammon was strangely silent. 

With Levi out of the room Lucifer released his demonic form and the crackling aura of power diminished. Lily who was still hidden behind him took a few steps back but the sudden pressure change left her even dizzier than before and she ended up losing her balance and fell on her bum.

Mammon was by her side scooping her up into his arms faster than she could blink. “Ugh, stupid human….” he complained with a grimace. “A walkin’ disaster, that’s what you are. Let’s get ya outta here.” and with that Mammon used his demon speed to get Lily back to her room at the House of Lamentation. 

  
  
A couple hours later Mammon had ordered pizza for everyone and even more surprisingly to Lily, he paid for it himself without a word. Mammon had grabbed a whole box and brought it to Lily’s room so they could be alone for a bit but Beel followed them; much to Mammon’s irritation.

“So, ya made it out of that without being attacked, only to end up fallin’ on your butt and sprainin’ your wrist..Seriously, could you be any more of a klutz?” Mammon complained as he tried to wrap Lily’s fragile wrist with a bandage.

“You humans really are way less physically capable than us demons.” Beel said around a mouthful of pizza. “That’s because they don’t eat enough. And unlike us, they don’t eat the right things.”

“Stop tying everything back to food, Beel! Actually, why’re you even here, anyway? Seems to me that you’ve been spendin’ an awful lot of time here ever since the night of the DVD Marathon.” Mammon accused his brother suspiciously. 

“Well, so have you.” Beel countered, not missing a beat. “ I mean, you’ve even left a cell phone charger here. And a toothbrush, too. That’s how much you’re over here.” he finished before taking another bite. 

Mammon flushed and began to sputter, “W-well that’s because, uh...you know...I’ve gotta look after this human, don’t I? It’s my job!”

“Mammon, you’re doing a terrible job with those bandages.” Beel pointed out. Grabbing another slice. 

“Hey, shut up! I’ve never had to wrap someone’s wrist before, okay? I don’t know how it works! If you think I’m doin’ such a bad job, then why don’t YOU do it, Beel!” Mammon snapped but Beel wasn’t listening as he chewed happily with his eyes closed. 

“Dammit Beel, listen to me when I’m talking to you! Wait a minute...Isn’t that MY slice you’ve got there in your other hand!?” Mammon accused with a shocked look on his face. Meanwhile, Lily had been doing her best not to laugh. She wondered if many sibling families were like this or if it was just demons. 

“You know, I could really go for a soda right now. I’m going to go run to the kitchen.” Beel stated before getting up, ignoring Mammon completely.    
  
  
“ ...Hey. Beel! You put down one of those slices you're holdin’ right now! HEY!” Mammon shouted angrily. “...of all the...seriously, does that guy ever stop eatin’?! You’d better keep a close eye on your pizza, or he’ll steal yours away next…” he cautioned Lily. “..ah..um, by the way...There’s something’ I want you to know.” Mammon lowered his voice, almost shyly which peeked Lily’s interest. “….Listen. The next time your life’s in danger, I’m gonna be the one to save you, all right? Don’t you forget that…..and if I can’t manage to save ya, then make sure you die, got it!? I don’t want no one else steppin’ in and savin’ you, all right?! It’s me or no one, understand?!” by the time Mammon was done, he was back to his loud snappish tone. It was too late though, Lily was beginning to see through him. 

“Okay. Got it.” she agreed, giving him a sweet smile before finishing her slice of pizza. 

Mammon stared at her shocked for a moment, “G-Good...Jeez, you should always just agree with me like that.” he muttered but couldn’t hide the blush on his cheeks. 

  
“Huh? That ain’t my phone. Is it yours? Hey, Lily..your D.D.D.’s ringing.” Mammon pointed out to her. Lily scrambled to find her D.D.D. she still wasn’t used to carrying around a phone and often left it in random places. 

“Uh Hello?” she answered, barely making the call when she found it under a pillow. “Oh? Okay. Sure. I’ll be there soon.” Mammon looked at Lily questioningly when she hung up. “That was Levi, he wants me to meet him at the Planetarium.” she told Mammon.

“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea, considerin’ he was about to gut ya earlier.” Mammon admonished. 

“I think it will be okay...he sounded calm. Besides this may be my only chance to apologise and get that soundtrack.” Lily argued. 

“Fine. Then I’m comin’ with ya.” Mammon insisted. “No.” Lily shook her head. “He said to come alone. I don’t think he’d want to get in trouble with Lucifer after what happened earlier…” Lily could see the stubbornness written on Mammon's face. “Don’t make me command you to stay okay? I don’t like doing that...but I will.” she told him. 

“Fine! But ya call for me right away if he starts actin’ weird!” Mammon insisted. “Alright. I will.” Lily told him with a smile before she left her room to make her way to the planetarium. As soon as she was gone Mammon called for Karasu and ordered him to watch out for Lily outside the planetarium windows. 

Bored now, Mammon began to rummage through Lily’s room and belongings. He didn’t notice that Beel had come back and was watching him from the doorway. “Hm hm hm hm hmmm...What’s Lily’s mine, and what’s mine is...miiine!....Hm hm hmmm!” he sang as he went through her closet, drawers and shelves. 

“Wait...what’s this! I spy a promising-looking box! I bet somethin’ good is hidden in here! What could it be?! Money?!,,,,Nah, doesn’t smell like money to me. Maybe it’s jewelry? A bank card? A winning lottery ticket? The deed to some property somewhere?...Ugh there ain’t nothin’ good here at all. It’s just some chocolate! And candy and cookies...All that’s in here are sweets!” he complained as the box was suddenly snatched from his hands by Beel. 

“I’ll take that.” Beel said, immediately pillaging its contents. 

“Aha, I knew it…! Wherever there’s food, you always show up, doncha, Beel? Guaranteed.” Mammon scoffed. 

“Like you’ve got room to criticize. Wherever there’s money, YOU always show up, don’t you, Mammon?” Beel countered. 

“...Hmph, You’re really lucky, ya know that? All you’ve gotta do is start whining’ about being hungry and someone usually ends up giving you somethin’ to eat. Well, just you try bein’ me for a change. I can ask people for money all I want, but no one ever gives me any. It’s a tough life - a real tough life.” Mammon insisted. 

“...mm, this chocolate’s super good.” Beel practically moaned as he munched and crunched. 

“Hey, come on! You ain’t even payin’ attention!.....anyway, that’s why I’m forced to go digging through this stuff while Lily’s not around. ‘Cause I can’t just ask for money, I’ve gotta take it. Now, I guess maybe I could sell these uniforms and stuff and make some money that way. Human exchange students are pretty unique. There might be some crazies you’d collect stuff like this. And Asmo did talk her into buy a few designer brands..” Mammon mused. 

“Whatever. You know you’re not going to do it, Mammon.” Beel rolled his eyes as he continued to eat all of Lily’s chocolate. 

“Eh? What’re ya talkin’ about?” Mammon said, distracted as he was looking at the family photo that Lily had by her bedside. 

“I’m saying that you’re all talk. You’re not going to actually sell Lily’s uniforms and stuff, no matter what you claim.” Beel stated confidently before sticking a piece of candy in his mouth. 

“Wh...hey! Don’t pretend ya know what I will and won’t do! In case you’ve forgotten, you’re talkin’ to THE Mammon, Avatar of Greed! You better bet I’d sell the uniforms...I’d even sell Lily if there was any profit in it! I’d even wrap Lily in a nice gift wrap and put a nice bow on top! Listen, if ya think I care about how some random human feels, you’re dead wrong! Mammon doesn’t care about humans! They’re demon food, that’s it! I mean, sure, I did end up making a pact by accident, but still -” Mammon rambled with a flushed face. 

“Mm...these cookies are pretty good, too.” Beel mumbled as he munched. 

“HEY! Listen to me when I’m talkin’ to you, Beel!” Mammon shouted. 

“Stop making lame excuses and just be honest.” Beel said as he worked on a difficult wrapper, wanting to open the delicacy without crushing the cookie inside. “You’re not planning on selling anything. The truth is that you like your human, so much that you can’t help wanting to dig through this stuff…”

“Wh...WHAT?! Is that s’posed to be some sorta joke?! Why would I be interested in some dumb human?! Like I said, humans are nothin’ more than food to us demons! They’re like insects, no better than roly-pollies! Ya think I’d be interested in a roy-poly? Hell no! That’s crazy! A-And anyway, Lily’s not even special as far as humans go! A Total weakling...can’t use magic or nothing. Why would I care about -” Mammon was rambling with a red face again. 

“Listen to you. You’re desperate to deny this. You’re almost in a panic over it. It’s as if you’re screaming, “Look, I’m totally crazy about my human, Beel!”” his brother laughed with a mouthful of cookies. 

“What?!....WHAT?! I’m not desperate, and I’m not in a panic, neither! I’m totally calm! Everything’s normal in Mammonland!” Mammon shouted. 

Beel continued to ignore his elder brother’s protests, “I have to say, it seems like Lily kind of likes you, too.”

Mammon looked shocked at Beel’s last statement. “R...Really? Are you serious? You think Lily….likes me?....Well, now that ya mention it, Lily does strike up conversations with me more than other demons, right? Maybe I’m giving off the aura of someone that’s okay to confide in….?” Mammon mused, calming considerably. 

“Well, they say that the stupider someone is, the easier they are to talk to…” Beel mumbled. 

“Eh? Did you say something’ just now Beel?” Mammon asked. 

“Me? No.” Beel shook his head with a smile. 

“Now that I think about it, it’s really not surprising, is it? I’m good-lookin’, I’m smart, AND how do I put it exactly...I’m the sort of demon you WANT in your corner, you know? And it may not always be so obvious, but I’m one of the Devildom’s elite, after all! One of the seven rulers of the underworld. Everywhere I go, folks cower before me! So, it only makes sense that Lily would be really taken with me.” he grinned proudly. 

Suddenly a flash lit up Mammon’s vision. 

“What was that?” Mammon asked.

“That was me taking a picture of you on my cell phone. I wanted to get a shot of that lame, goofy smile on your face.” Beel laughed. 

“Wh-what’d you say?!” Mammon growled. 

“I mean, that was some look you had. Just the thought that you might be special to Lily made you so happy that I thought you were about to do backflips.” Beel belly laughed. 

“Hey...no! You delete that right now!” Mammon insisted, trying to snatch the phone from Beel. Mammon was fast but Beel was taller and held his phone where Mammon couldn’t reach. 

“No can do. I’ve already sent it to Satan, Asmodeus and well...everyone.” Beel grinned. 

“WHAT?! You idiot! This isn’t funny! Unsend that right now...Hurry, ya dolt!” Mammon growled, still trying to get Beel’s phone. 

“Too late.” Beel laughed, leaving Lily’s room now that the box of sweets was empty. Mammon chased after him insisting he delete the photo.

  
  
Lily hadn’t had a lot of opportunity to spend much time in the house’s planetarium yet but it was her favorite room in the house. As soon as she entered Leviathan was rounding on her.

“...Finally. I’ve been waiting for you to show up. It took you long enough. When I call for you, you need to come right away, understand? Don’t walk, run. I want you moving at light speed. Like the way Henry races over whenever his best friend the Lord of Shadow calls on him. You saw the TSL DVDs, so you should know. He comes riding up on the winged unicorn that he won off of the Lord of Fools in a bet. ….Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you and I are best friends or anything. As if.” he rolled his eyes. “So, do you know why I called you here?”

Lily took a healthy step back towards the door and laughed nervously. “Well..hopefully not to eat me.” she half joked. They had been threatening to do so since her arrival after all.

Levi laughed, “Huh. Good guess. You’re sharp. The truth is that I was planning on doing that until a minute ago. Because I won’t stand for anyone else being a bigger TSL fan than me. It’s unacceptable! And what’s worse, you’re a human - a weak, insignificant one at that. It just totally defies belief. If I took you out of the picture by eating you, that would leave me as the sole king of all TSL mega fans, right? But Lucifer would get mad at me if I did, so I’ve given up on that idea…”

Lily took another step back. “Levi I’m sorry if I upset you. I just wanted us to be friends. I was never trying to replace you as the bigger TSL fan, I just thought I could prove to you I knew enough for you to respect me.” she tried to explain. “I just had a favor to ask of you and you wouldn’t even talk to me..”

Levi looked shocked for a moment and then irritated again. “What!? Did you say friends? You and me…?! A-A-Are you...are you out of your mind?! You do know I tried to attack you, right? And that if Lucifer hadn’t intervened, you’d be dead right now. You realize that, right? I mean, that literally JUST happened. Have you already forgotten, or are you that dumb? Do you have the memory of a goldfish or something? Or maybe you’ve got amnesia? You’re unbearable!” he complained. 

Lily hung her head, she had never had an easy time making friends. She didn’t know why this would be any different. Looked like she’d need to find another way into the attic. 

Levi took a step closer to her and his voice was softer the next time he spoke. “..all right, look. Here’s the thing. You remember why we decided to have that competition in the first place, right? It was to see who the bigger TSL fan was. And I told you that if you won, I’d enter into a pact with you. That little trump card you pulled out was a real dirty trick...but a promise is a promise, after all. It really kills me to do this...it makes my stomach churn. But, I’ll keep my end of the bargain. I’ll do it. I’ll make a pact with you.” he told her. 

This time Lily looked up at him in surprise. She didn’t remember a pact ever entering into the equation but she wasn’t going to argue. 

Levi took another step closer when Lily only blinked at him with those large beguiling eyes of hers. “I have to touch you.” he said gruffly as if it was the last thing he wanted to do. “You should know how this goes since you already made a pact with Mammon.” Lily only nodded and Levi took that as permission. 

Hesitating Levi looked at Lily while he chewed on his lip. Eventually he reached for her left hand. “The Avatar of Envy’s mark traditionally goes over your eyes...because we first see what we come to envy. I sense no envy in you...which isn’t fair...and your eyes..are too...ugh nevermind. I’m going to mark your left hand. Where I can always see it and you can’t hide it...unless you wear gloves...so don’t. I..I forbid it..” his voice had gone from soft to flustered to angry and once again Lily wondered if she was making a mistake.

“Wait! What do you want in return? I won’t give you my soul.” Lily told him. Levi squeezed her hand a bit tighter. “You bested me human, there’s no exchange. You won this pact.” he growled. Levi wouldn’t admit the truth, that he wanted her friendship in return. 

His hesitation swept away by his irritation he bit into his finger, making it bleed as Mammon had done before and traced his symbol on her left hand. “I am Leviathan of the Deep, the Avatar of Envy. With my blood I pledge my service, let no being, mighty or small, sunder this unbreakable bond. Let the denizens of darkness witness my oath and make it so.”

Like before, the sigil lit up in a bright glow, this time an eerie orange hue reminiscent of Levi’s eyes and then it faded into nothing. No trace to be found. But this time Lily felt it, the bond connecting them, maybe because she had become more sensitive to it having been in her pact with Mammon for several days now. 

  
“Alright. It’s done.” Levi sighed and released her hand. He seemed calmer now. Crossing his arms he aimed a question her way. “This is about more than just making a pact, right? You’re after something else. Go on, spill the beans.”

“Well..” Lily wasn’t sure this was the right time to ask but she did anyway. “I was hoping I could borrow your TSL soundtrack.” she told him. 

“AHA! I knew it! I knew no one would actually WANT to make a pact with me. Not like this is surprising or anything.” Levi shouted ruefully. “Well, I don’t know what you’re planning on doing with my record, but...just don’t sell it, understand? You’d better give it back when you’re done, is that clear? If you touch it, make sure to wipe off any fingerprints. And no eating potato chips and stuff when you handle it. It’s super, super rare, so you’d better not lose any of the inserts or the sleeve or anything!”

“Okay, okay.” Lily laughed. “I’m not Beel or Mammon. I’ll take good care of it.” she told him. Levi didn’t seem convinced but either way he led her to his room where he gave her the record. 

When she left Levi’s room she was practically accosted by Mammon. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt ya did he?” Mammon asked as he looked her over. 

“No. I’m fine.” she insisted, trying to give herself some space. 

“Ugh. I got this weird itchy feeling. Made me all uncomfortable. Then I realized it was the damned pact and I thought something happened to ya...wait a minute!” Mammon exclaimed and snatched up her left hand, having sensed Levi’s pact. “I can’t believe it. Ya made a pact with Levi?!”

“It surprised me too.” Lily admitted. “But I got the record too.” she smiled. 

Mammon smiled for a moment too. “Heh. Well good on ya.” then he scowled. “Well that’s great and everything but just remember. I’m THE GREAT Mammon...and ya know. I was your first. So dontcha go forgettin’ that!”


	14. Prisoner in the Attic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily finally makes it to the Attic.

_***several weeks earlier*** _

Belphegor sat up when he heard Lucifer outside the attic door. He’d given up trying to escape after the first few attempts, Lucifer was just too powerful. He’d never succeed with force so he had to bide his time and wait for an opportunity to exploit. He wondered what sort of garbage his dear eldest brother was going to lecture him with today. 

“Why do you come?” Belphegor yawned with disinterest when Lucifer entered his prison. 

“Have you calmed down yet?” was Lucifer’s solemn ask. 

Belphegor laughed lazily. “Calmed down?”

Lucifer frowned, “Yes, I told you to use your time in here to calm down and rethink what you said before.” 

Belphegor chuckled, “Well I guess I’m going to be stuck in here forever then. You best start working on a new cover story to explain to our brothers why I never return from the human realm. Don’t expect Beel to swallow your next lie so easy.” Belphegor tightened his hands into fists, as he growled, “Because I’m never going to take back what I said. No way am I ever going to change my mind!”

Lucifer didn’t let Bephegor’s attitude phase him though, “We’ve gone ahead and chosen the second student from the human world. This one is different from Solomon, just a regular, average human.”

Belphegor rolled his eyes. “Why are you telling me this? I’m not interested. Unless you want to bring that human to me Lucifer.” he grinned madly up at his brother. “I’ll tear them to shreds so tiny that there won’t be anything left of the body or soul when I’m done with them.” he laughed maniacally. “If this precious student from the human realm met an end like that...well that wouldn’t do well for Diavolo’s reputation and you can be sure those meddling angels would put a screeching halt to this exchange program. Ha! Ahahahahaha!”

Lucifer said nothing, staring down at his youngest sibling. “Or if you don’t want to bring them to me...I’ll call them here myself.” Belphegor continued. 

“That’s impossible.” Lucifer finally said. “This door can only be seen by demons, it’s invisible to humans. I’ve also put a curse on the stairs so that no demon other than myself can climb them. No demon, human or other creature will find you. Your only hope of leaving this room is to change your attitude.”

_***present day*** _

Once Lily had that record in her possession she didn’t want to waste a beat. Mammon said he would wait for her in her room since he already knew the attic was spelled against his entry after he’d gone to see if he could find something he could sell up there.  _ Make sure to bring back any valuables you find, ya got me human?  _ He had told her.

Gathering her courage and taking a deep breath, Lily knocked on Lucifer’s bedroom door. “Come in. The door is open.” Lucifer’s voice called from inside. One more deep breath and Lily turned the handle and let herself in. 

Lucifer was sitting on his couch with a glass of wine, or at least that’s what it looked like to Lily. Here in the Devildom she could never assume anything. “Ah, Lily, it’s you. Today really was quite the disaster, wasn’t it? But despite all that happened, you should know that Levi’s not normally like that. He may be a high ranking demon, but he’s quite harmless by nature. Try not to hold it against him. So, tell me, what brings you here at this hour?”

Lily couldn’t help but smile, Lucifer was always so cold and it was nice to see this more relaxed side to him, even hearing him saying a soft word about his brother was refreshing to hear. Without fanfare, Lily approached and handed Lucifer the hard won soundtrack. 

Lucifer raised an eyebrow at Lily before casting his gaze down at the record, surprise registered on his features when he realized what he was holding. “Wh... Is this what I think it is?! ...Ah, now I get it. So, this is why you wanted to make a pact with Levi. Do you realize what it is you’ve got here, what this represents?” he asked her with a smile.    
  
She didn’t correct him about the pact, she had never gone into this with the intention of making a pact with Levi. She wasn’t sure why everyone assumed that’s all she wanted to do. Pacts were honestly the furthest from her mind. 

“I really don't,” Lily said, answering his question.

Lucifer gave her what she perceived as a small patronizing smile before telling her. “I don’t imagine you would. This isn’t any ordinary soundtrack, you see. There’s quite a history to it. I don’t have any particular interest in The Tale of the Seven Lords as a story. No..What interests me is the person who served as the first composer for the TSL movies. You see, the composer I speak of is dead now. He killed himself. The final song he wrote before his death was meant to be used in the scene where the Lord of Corruption puts a curse on the heroes. But due to the composer committing suicide, they decided not to use that track. They saved it, but didn't release it to the public. However, a group of diehard fans pooled their own funds and had a very limited number of vinyl editions produced. As you might have guessed by now, this record is one of the few that were created. However, all of the people involved in its creation, as well as every single person who owned a copy of it, ended up dying mysteriously. So, people started saying the record itself was cursed. I heard that all of these had been destroyed. But all this time, Levi has had a copy. I had no idea. All right, I’ll go ahead and take this. We’ll consider it payment for saving you earlier. Still, I really do appreciate you bringing this to me. I think I’ll spend tonight savoring every last note of this music here..”

Lily tried to keep up with him, she hadn’t realized that Lucifer could sound almost as bad as Leviathan when it came to something he was obviously passionate about. Lucifer narrowed his eyes at her before continuing. 

“...which means I probably won’t be able to bring myself to leave my room tonight. You see, we demons can’t resist temptation. When there’s something we really want staring us in the face, we have to have it. That’s simply how we are. Right now what I want is to stay up all night listening to this record. I can’t help it...I have to do it. But don’t think that means you’re free to climb the stairs to the attic, Lily. That place is off - limits. Well then, good night.” he said, dismissing her. 

Lily felt as though Lucifer could read her mind and she couldn’t leave the room fast enough. She was such a bad liar that she was afraid he’d really see through her and have her locked up so she couldn’t attempt going up to the attic while he was distracted. She stood outside in the hallway, letting her heart calm until she heard the first strains of music from his room. Lily made her way to the second floor bathroom first to collect herself. She was filled with a mixture of feelings, the thrill of the mystery, the fear of being caught by Lucifer, the worry that she’d be disappointed with her findings, better to be disappointed than horrified she told herself. Praying she didn’t find some demonic torture chamber or anything gruesome. 

Gathering her courage once more, she quietly made her way towards the staircase that led to the attic, relieved that everyone else also seemed to be in for the night. The first step she took, the old stair creaked and groaned and Lily felt her heart hammer in her chest, it was so loud and those demons with their supernatural hearing...she felt like Lucifer was going to grab her from behind at any second. When no one came to stop her and the house was still silent she slowly began to climb the stairs. 

When Belphegor heard the steps on the stairs he groaned, he wasn’t in the mood to listen to another one of Lucifer’s lectures. As the steps continued, slow, soft, and full of hesitation he realized it wasn’t Lucifer. It was the human. Lily was her name. Lucifer had told him that much but he didn’t rely on Lucifer for all his knowledge, he wasn’t completely deaf and blind locked up in the attic. The specters and ghosts that haunted this house whispered things to him in his sleep and other things that lived behind the walls and under the floorboards were his spies. 

“Lily...at last you’ve come.” Belphegor sighed with a smile, he had a good feeling that tonight Lucifer wouldn’t be interrupting them. 

Lily was halfway up the stairs when she thought she heard someone call her name. This both made her want to rush up the last flight of stairs but another voice screamed at her to turn around and never look back. One more calming breath and she pushed that voice away and continued her ascent to the attic. 

At the top of the stairs was an intricate door that had decorative cut outs, allowing her to see into the room beyond. A man was sitting on a large bed, staring at her as she approached. 

“I knew you were the one person who’d be able to find me.” the unknown person said with a lazy smile as he shuffled towards the door. Lily’s mind was reeling with implications. This person was obviously trapped against their will with the way Lucifer had spoken, he’d also said it was dangerous which had Lily taking a healthy step back from the door as the man stopped on the other side. 

“Why are you in there?” she asked as she studied him. Man or Demon? It was always hard to tell, but if she was a betting person, her money would be on Demon. His eyes were the same as Beelzebubs and he had those same proportions that were just a tad off. 

“I’m certainly not in here of my own free will. That much should be obvious.” he answered vaguely. “Come closer.” he beckoned. “Look.” he said as he tried to push a hand through the opening in the doorway but his hand would not, as if it were hitting an invisible wall. 

Lily only moved a bit closer, she couldn’t be sure that he wasn’t tricking her. “Are you a demon?” she asked. 

“Don’t be ridiculous! Just the thought of being one of them is enough to send a shiver down my spine.” the man shuddered dramatically for effect. “I’m a human, just like you. A demon imprisoned me in here long ago, and I’ve been stuck here ever since. It was Lucifer. I’m guessing you’ve met him. Well, that demon is the one who locked me in here. I’m begging you, Lily. You’ve got to get me out of here.”

“How do you know my name?” she asked, eliciting a smirk from the man behind the door. 

“Hmm. Your name? Lucifer told me.” he smiled. “They’ve got big plans for you Lily...plans I doubt you want to be a part of.” he said cryptically. “Help me get out of here and I’ll make sure you leave the Devildom.”

Something inside Lily told her not to trust this person but at the same time there was that same warm familiarity with him that she had around the brothers. This strange feeling of dejavu when she looked into his eyes, this feeling that she’d do anything for him. 

“I’d like to help you if I can.” she answered honestly if not a bit noncommittal. 

The man smiled. “Thank you. I knew I could count on you, Lily. Now, I’m going to tell you what you need to do. Make sure to listen closely.” he told her, his tone turning more serious. 

“Now, you can’t open this door. Neither of us are capable of that. Because it’s sealed with a very powerful sort of magic. In order to break the seal, you need the consent of Lucifer and his six brothers. But they’re not exactly nice folks. You must already know that, right? But you’re a special case. You can make them do it.”

“I can ask someone for help...Mammon or maybe Solomon or Simeon..” Lily told him.

The man laughed, sounding amused. “Oh no, there’s no need to do that! Because you have the power to bend demons to your will. What I’m trying to say is that you should make pacts with these demons - all of them. You’ve already got Mammon and Leviathan under your control, right? Well, doing the same to the rest of them will be just as simple.” he told her. 

Lily didn’t like the sound of that. She already had two pacts that she’d never sought out for herself. Was it really necessary to make pacts with the others to help this person? 

“Wait, how do you even know about that?” Lily asked, feeling conflicted. 

“That’s not important. What matters is that I’m counting on you to come through for me, Lily. You’re the only one who can help me now. You’re my sole ray of hope in this bleak, bleak world.” he said sadly as he drifted back from the door.

“You’ve got to start by gaining their trust. And if you want to do that, you can’t tell them you came here and spoke with me. Whatever you do, don’t mention that. Let’s see, you should probably start with...Beelzebub. Yes, he’d be the best choice. You need to get close to him. I have faith in you, Lily. I know you’ll get me out of here. So then, we have a deal. I’m counting on you, Lily.” he said, as he sat back down on the bed. 

“You better go now, before someone wonders where you’ve gone.” he said, breaking the silence as Lily had become lost in her thoughts. Nodding she bid the man goodnight and made her way down the stairs. 

Belatedly Lily realized she forgot to get their name, oh well, she thought to herself, she could get it the next time. If there was a next time. Now she had to think of an excuse for Mammon. He was in her room waiting on her to bring back the treasure he suspected that Lucifer was hiding in the attic. She was a terrible liar. She’d have to try to tell him partial truths. 

Lily breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that Mammon was passed out, already asleep on his air mattress. She shook her head, not understanding why he insisted on sleeping on that thing when he had his own luxurious bed to sleep in. Quickly dressing for bed she got under her own covers. She might have dodged it for tonight but tomorrow Mammon would have questions. 

After making sure that Mammon was fast asleep and not going to wake, she pulled out her journal. 

**Lily’s Daily Journal - Day 11**

_ I finally made it into the attic. Lucifer has a man locked up. He says he is human but I think he’s a demon. He wants my help getting out. If I was sure he was human I would help him without question. Do I trust the prisoner or the demon who has him locked up? Maybe Lucifer has a good reason? The situation seems dangerous and I will have to proceed with caution. I haven’t made a decision either way. Unfortunately the secret of the attic revealed nothing of my own situation here. I must turn my focus on the angels and see if they have any information on my father. I must not let these other mysteries distract me to my one goal here.  _

_ In other news. I made friends with a demon hound, named Cerberus and he looks just like I imagined the beast from the myths to look like. I hope to see him again soon. I also made a pact with Leviathan, it wasn’t my intention to but that is where my path to the attic led me.  _

_ I must admit the distractions are hard to ignore. How often in my life did I dream of walking into a whole new world? I cannot help but be curious and awestruck by everything. I have this unexplainable feeling that this is all fate. I’m trying to keep control but how much control of my life do I really have here? It is as awesome as it is frightening to think about.  _

_ Clues… _

_ A strange light in the forest _ _   
_ _ A bank account created before I was born, Barbatos? _ _   
_ _ A consistent feeling of dejavu? _ __   
_ Beels strange behavior and the missing brother?  
_ __ Someone imprisoned in the attic, human or demon? The missing brother???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on embellishing Belphie's story A LOT from this point. In the game we don't get to see much from his perspective or his interactions with Lucifer. I hope you'll all enjoy my take on it. Comments are encouraged and appreciated =) I love hearing your thoughts, even if its on the game and characters in general. Thanks for reading!


	15. Demon sized Threats & Tantrums

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily eats some custard.

Lily wondered if she’d even had a full hour of sleep when she rolled out of her bed the next morning. Not ready to face Lucifer after defying him and discovering the secret of the attic she decided to try to get something to eat early and then hide in her room until it was time to leave for class. Mammon was softly snoring on the floor mattress, Lily suppressed a giggle at his open mouth and disheveled appearance. He wasn’t the cool, rude and brash demon anymore when all his guards were lowered. Her amusement quickly turned to embarrassment though as the demon tossed in his sleep, mumbling something about goldie and the blanket shifted down dangerously low.  _ Was he sleeping in the nude?! In her room?!  _ Lily felt sufficiently scandalized as she quickly tossed her own blanket over him to cover his exposed skin as she scurried into her bathroom to change for the day. 

Mammon was still passed out when she left the room, she still had to come up with a story for him too. Again, Lily wondered if she should be keeping this secret or if it would be better to confront them all about it now. Confrontation with demons seemed perilous to her health though and if Lily was anything, she was a survivor. 

Whomever was on cooking duty that morning was nowhere to be seen, but they left something that was reminiscent of bacon on a plate unguarded so Lily snagged a few pieces and a devildom fruit that she was pretty much unpronounceable to her. She thought she’d been successful when she turned to go back to her room, only to run into Lucifer as he was coming in. 

“Good morning, Lily. I have to say, I enjoyed last night immensely. I listened to that record over and over...I can’t tell you how many times. And because of that, I’m running on far too little sleep today. But I’m in a great mood. I take it you didn’t get much sleep either. Did something happen last night to keep you up?” Lucifer pinned her with that all knowing gaze of his.

“Uhh..I...w-well..” Lily fought to find words, not expecting this sudden confrontation.

“Haha, you seem to be the type of person that has trouble lying. You may not be the cleverest person around, but you’re honest, I’ll give you that.” Lucifer said with a low chuckle. 

Lily still had no words for Lucifer as he pressed forward, forcing Lily to cower in the corner next to the doorway. “However...Let me give you a piece of advice.” He said as he towered over her. “You should focus on surviving this year here, finishing the exchange program and going back to the human world. That’s all you need to concern yourself with. Would you like me to make it a bit clearer for you? ‘Curiosity killed the cat.’ Surely you’ve heard this expression? Well, curiosity can very literally get you killed here as well. Hmm, I guess that’s more of what you’d call a word of warning than a piece of advice. ...Eh, but why split hairs? Forget all about what happened last night. I allowed you to satisfy your own curiosity as a favor to you since you brought me that record. But rest assured, it won’t happen again.” 

As soon as he finished his piece he walked over to the coffee brewer as if nothing had happened, like Lily wasn’t even there. Collecting herself, Lily dashed into her room and slumped against the door. Lily wondered how someone could be so scary and intimidating without even raising their voice. She shuddered at the thought of Lucifer actually yelling at someone. That might be enough to make someone’s heart stop. No wonder Cerberus heeled to Lucifer’s command, the beast was just a little fluffy puppy compared to that demon. 

Relieved to see that Mammon had left, Lily rolled up and put away his mattress and blankets. The demon was never picking up after himself, she sighed. Mammon was supposed to be her guardian but at times she felt like she was his babysitter. “Oil! Human. I heard what Lucifer said.” Mammon made her jump when he barged back into her room, already dressed for classes. “So what did ya find? You’re lucky he was in such a good mood.” Mammon laughed. 

Lily shrugged. “There was a door and a room...but it was locked and I couldn’t get inside.” she told him a partial truth. 

“Huh? Well that’s disappointin’ but not surprisin’” Mammon huffed and dropped it, seeing no profit in the venture. Lily could only be grateful that he didn’t press her for more details. 

  
  


Lily felt like she moved in a daze that day in classes, unable to focus, too much swimming around in her mind. At Lunch she barely picked at her food, ignoring the argument Beel and Mammon were having, something to do with food of course. Eventually she shoved her tray towards Beel who polished off what she didn’t eat in a few seconds. 

“Oi! That’s not helping anything human!” he shouted at her for giving Beel her food. “What’s wrong with ya today?” he demanded but Lily was saved by Simeon and Luke showing up. Luke was instantly on Mammon’s case for shouting at her and Simeon was inviting them to go camping. Beelzebub was instantly on board with the idea, as he started listing off all the different camping foods he’d get to eat. 

Lily began to think about what the prisoner in the attic had said about getting Beelzebub’s trust. The only way she’d get that demon to look twice at her is if she was offering him food but as soon as he ate it his interest would be elsewhere, she had no idea where to start with that demon and honestly she still didn’t know if she wanted to. 

“Hey human, what do you think about camping?” Mammon was asking her. 

“Hmm, sounds fun.” Lily said in a noncommittal manner. She grew up in the woods, her and her father had cozy campfires all the time and left their little cottage to camp and hunt in the woods frequently. Honestly, she couldn’t imagine any of these creatures camping like humans. 

“I was afraid you’d say that. So, we’ve got another fan of camping here, huh? This sucks. Just bein’ around people like you is a drag.” Mammon complained but she wasn’t listening. Luke was looking at her thoughtfully as Simeon bid them goodbye. Lily couldn’t help thinking about the last time she and Luke were alone and he warned her never to trust a demon and she couldn’t shake the feeling that the prisoner in the attic was a demon and probably one she shouldn’t trust. 

  
  


That evening Lily stared at her ceiling trying to sleep. Whether or not she stared blankly or closed her eyes the only thing she could see were the eyes of the prisoner in the attic. In color they were so similar to Beelzebub's and they had something else in common with the other demons she found herself living with, something that she felt mirrored her own. What was it? Loneliness? Loss? A burden of a secret? It wasn’t as obvious in the others but the prisoner...even though his expression and the way he carried himself was so...careless? His eyes left a profound impression on her, so much so that she couldn’t get them out of her head. 

An alert dinged on her D.D.D. roused her from her thoughts. She rolled over to grab the phone and saw a message from Mammon. 

**> Mammon:** I’m feeling a little hungry. Come meet me in the kitchen. Now. Just to be clear, it’s not like I’m afraid Lucifer might catch me if I go alone. Seriously, that’s not what this is about! For real, it isn’t!

**< Lily** : Give me a moment...

Lily rolled out of bed and threw a sweater over her nightgown, she couldn’t quite figure Mammon out. He was a ball of contradictions, one that she assumed she’d slowly unravel over time. If she had enough time before she left that is. Regardless she was happy for the distraction from her current thoughts. She was fairly hungry herself since she hadn’t been eating much since her arrival. 

As soon as she’d turned the corner into the kitchen, Mammon was already pouncing on her and dragging her to the fridge. “Took ya long enough. Listen, when I call you, you need to come lickity-split. I’m hungry, and I’m in a bad mood to boot. Ya shoulda known that. Well, whatever. Let’s have a look inside the fridge and see what we can find. Ugh, there’s nothin’ good in here.” Mammon complained as he rummaged through the fridge and Lily just stood aside, hugging her sweater to her, it was always cold in the House in the evenings. 

Lily didn’t know how she was supposed to know that he was in a bad mood but now that he mentioned it she could feel a sorta of vibration between them, one that made her feel slightly anxious. Lost in her thoughts she wondered what could have put Mammon in a bad mood, something to do with money she supposed. 

“Wait...now what do we have here? Looks like a custard. Here, eat this. I need an accomplice. I don’t wanna be the only one in trouble.” Mammon said gruffly, pushing the custard into Lily’s hands. 

Lily looked down at the custard in her hands. T _ he label read: Madam Screams Blood Orange Custard.  _ Hmm. A normal flavor Lily thought to herself but there was a sticky note attached to the custard that read:  _ “Property of Beelzebub” You eat it, you die.  _

“No. Thank you.” Lily muttered to herself and tried to put the custard back into the fridge. 

“Oi! What do ya think you’re doin’?” Mammon snapped, blocking her way. “You’ve gotta be seriously brave to eat this custard here. If you can do that, I’ll admit that you’ve got guts. So you’re gonna do it, right? What am I sayin’ ? Do it. That’s an order.” Mammon urged, blocking her in between himself and the fridge door. 

“No.” Lily refused, shaking her head. Mammon frowned at her looking disappointed. 

“Wha? Oh come on. You’re a real drag, you know that? A total killjoy. Whatever, just shut up and eat it! You’ll be fine! If you won’t do it voluntarily, then I’ll have to MAKE you eat it! Go on, down the hatch!” Faster than Lily could react Mammon suddenly had a spoonful of the custard in hand and used his other hand to force open her mouth. 

“There we go, You did it! You totally ate Beel’s custard! I saw ya!” He grinned looking pleased with himself. 

Lily made a face and coughed, trying not gag at the strange metallic and citrus like flavor. She couldn’t trust flavors around here because she’s pretty sure that was actual blood flavor. Mammon takes another look at the cup of custard. 

“...wait. It says this expired two weeks ago. Oh well. It’s not like it’s gonna kill ya, now is it? Ahahahah!” Mammon laughed as Lily made her way to the sink, desperate for a cup of water to wash away the taste in her mouth.

Mammon turned back to the fridge, still chucking at his human when he noticed Beelzebub standing in the entry to the kitchen looking furious.

“D’AH…! Beel! Wh-what’s the big idea sneakin’ up on me like that? How long have you been there…?” Mammon shouted, holding a hand to his heart. 

“...Did you eat my custard? Did you actually eat my CUSTARD?! Answer me, Mammon!” Beelzebub began yelling and Lily shrank back, happy that she wasn’t holding that cup of custard. 

“N-Now wait a second, Beel! Lemme explain! There’s a good reason for -” Mammon began coming up with excuses all while backing up towards Lily. 

Lily’s eyes widened as she witnessed her third demon transformation, this one might have been the scariest of all, even if Beelzebub’s anger wasn’t aimed directly at her, his sheer size alone made him very intimidating without the horns and wings. 

**“You...ate...my...CUSTARD…!”** was the last thing Lily heard before complete chaos and destruction rained down around them. All Lily knew was the sensation of being lifted off the ground and closed her eyes against the blur of motion that threatened to make her sick as she pressed her hands against her ears to shield them against the infernal growling and roaring noises mixed in with the sound of demolition all around, the calamity of pots and pans being thrown around and meeting an untimely end. 

When the world stopped moving, Lily found herself being laid out on the floor in the hallway. She closed her eyes until the world stopped spinning and the threat of vomiting subsided. When she rolled on her side and opened an eye Lucifer was there, also in his demon form as he subdued Beelzebub with some sort of magic or was it his demonic power? Lily didn’t know enough to differentiate the two yet but it was frightening to behold Lucifer’s power so easily ensnare Beelzebub who reminded her of a rampaging bull. Mammon wasn’t far away, slumped against the wall, breathing hard, his clothes torn in places. 

On wobbly legs Lily stood and looked around at the carnage around them. It didn’t take her long to realize that part of the debris was her very own bedroom that shared a wall with the kitchen. A cry of alarm broke from her lips as she rushed into the hazard zone of her semi-demolished bedroom. The demons looked after the human as if she’d lost her mind. The smell of human blood spilled had Beelzebub agitated again while Lucifer snapped at Mammon to collect the human. 

Lily didn’t even feel the glass that sliced open her bare feet as she scrambled over to where her bed should have been, digging through debris. Mammon was grabbing her arm to stop her when she yanked away from him. “No!” she commanded him as she continued to dig. “Stop! Human!” Mammon growled with frustration as their pact left him motionless as he watched her scrape and cut her hands as she frantically dug through the debris. 

Finally Lily found what she was searching for as she pulled out a broken frame with her family photo in it. Clutching it to her chest, Mammon found himself free of her command as he hauled his human up into his arms once more. Lucifer looked at them with disdain, the humans bloodied hands clutched at a photo frame and her feet dripped blood on the carpet. “Clean her up and then you’re both to report to my room.” he ordered coldly as he began to drag a guilty looking Beelzebub up the stairs. 

Mammon followed up the stairs shortly after Lucifer's door had shut and his brother’s began peaking their heads out of their rooms, wondering what the commotion was about. No one except Leviathan left their rooms after seeing the bloodied human and the look Mammon had on his face. Rushing up to them looking panicked, Levi took in their appearance. “So this is why I was feeling all knotted up inside!” he said, half reaching out to Lily and then pulling back as if she might burn him. 

“Well maybe you shoulda come down and checked on the human when ya heard the flippin’ house fallin’ apart!” Mammon practically shouted in Leviathan’s face. Levi looked conflicted and Lily was just silently staring ahead, not really hearing or seeing either of them. Mammon clicked his tongue in distaste as he walked to the bathroom. “Just go hide in your room and play your games Levi.” 

Levi stood in the hallway and watched Mammon disappear into the shared bathroom with their human. He felt agitated, he hadn’t even spoken to Lily since they made their pact and he’d found he’d had so much he wanted to share with her. That scumbag brother of his was always monopolizing her time though and now she was hurt and he hadn’t even realized she might have needed him. Mammon just made him look bad in front of her too.  _ That scumbag! It wasn’t fair… _ Levi growled with frustration before heading back into his room. 

Mammon set Lily down on the counter by the sink and pulled out the first aid kit they’d put in all the bathrooms since they found out a human was coming to live with them. He tried to take the picture frame from her but Lily just clutched it tighter to herself so with a sigh of resignation Mammon tended to her feet first. “Ugh can’t believe I gotta wash some stinkin’ human feet.” Mammon muttered with distaste, clearly still in a foul mood. 

_ Ugh. Her feet are so small...so cute...so soft….so damn fragile...stupid human. _ Mammon’s thoughts were in disarray as he tended to the cuts on her feet. He imagined he was being gentle but Lily wasn’t of a mind to correct his rough treatment of her soles as the disinfectant stung.  _ What’s happenin’ to my life?!  _ Mammon thought to himself as he knelt in front of this human that had wrangled a pact out of him. He, The Great Mammon, Avatar of Greed. It was absurd. These were not the thoughts he voiced as he looked up at his human and cleared his throat. “Is that your family or somethin’?” he asked, realizing he pretty much knew nothing about her. Finally Lily broke out of the haze and locked eyes with Mammon. “Yes.” she answered. Mammon was impressed that the human’s voice was still clear and strong. That’s when he noticed, looking into her eyes that she was a survivor just like him. Whatever struggles she faced in the human world were nothing compared to what she found herself in now. For a moment he was angry, angry at Lucifer, angry at Diavolo for bringing such a fragile innocent life down here. Now it was his job to make sure she was safe and he couldn’t fail at this task, he didn’t think he’d survive otherwise.    
  


Mammon had stood and Lily finally let him take the photo from her hands. “Your ma and pa?” he asks as he sets the frame gently on the counter so he could tend to her hands. Lily nodded. “I get ya. Family is important right?” he says a bit gruffly. “Well dontcha worry about them, I’m sure Diavolo and Barbatos worked some magic, they won’t even know you’re missin’ and when ya go back home it’ll be like ya never left.” Mammon looked up from tending to the cuts on her hands to lock eyes with her wide violet eyes, a few silent tears had escaped. 

“Shit.” he cursed, glancing back down at the photo. She was so young in that photo. “Your parents are gone?” It was a question that didn’t need answering. Lily blinked back her tears and looked down at her hands that Mammon had clumsily wrapped in bandages to add to her sprained wrist. “I’m alone.” she answered. 

Mammon cursed again under his breath. A million thoughts ran through his head at that moment, a million things he could say to her but instead he just said, “Come on. Lucifer’s waitin’.” as he helped her down from the counter gently. Lily grabbed the broken frame as they left. 

In Lucifer’s room, Beelzebub was back in his human form looking plenty chastised. Lily sat exhausted on Lucifer’s couch as he asked his brothers to tell him what happened. Once they had both said their piece, Lucifer had turned back to Mammon and asked him to go through it one more time. 

“COOOME OOON! How many times are ya gonna make me say it? I was hungry, so I went to the kitchen lookin’ for something to eat...And while I was diggin’ through the fridge, Beel suddenly came up and attacked me!” Mammon raised his voice this time, losing patience.

“You ate my custard.” Beel said, an angry frown on his face. Lily was wishing Lucifer would stop making them recount the tale because each time Beelzebub seemed he might transform again. 

“No, I DIDN’T eat your custard, Beel. I told ya, I was just holdin’ it in my hand, that’s all.” Mammon tried to convince them in vain. 

“Liar. You were eating it. I could tell. The lid was off.” Beel began to argue with Mammon and Lily wondered how long Lucifer was going to let this go on?

Mammon crossed his arms, “Wha? Well don’t look at me it was probably open to begin with.”

“I made sure to write my name on it, and you still ate it.” Beel said, jabbing an angry finger towards Mammon. 

“Eh? You wrote your name?” Mammon poorly feigned innocence and Lily cringed to hear him speak such blatant lies. 

“Oh yes. It said “Property of Beelzebub. You eat it, you die.” Beel growled and Lily was just waiting for him to transform and hoped Lucifer would be quick enough to keep them from bringing down the whole house this time. 

“Oh...really? Huh..I never noticed..” Mammon shrugged shamelessly. 

“That was my custard.” Bee repeated himself, you would have thought his dog died the way he said it. Lily couldn’t believe how ridiculous these demons were. 

“You never give up, do ya? But whatever, it doesn’t have nothin’ to do with me anyway, ‘cause Lily is the one who ate it.” Mammon announced with a grin. Lily couldn’t believe it but then again, as she reminded herself constantly, these were demons so why should she be surprised that he threw her under the bus after force feeding her expired custard?

Anyone else may have gone off at Mammon at that point, and within their rights as well. Lily only took a calming breath, she’d been bullied most her life and she never gave in. “That’s right. I was the one who had a bite of Beel’s custard. I’m sorry Beelzebub.” she said, not even looking at Mammon as she looked Beel right in the eye as she apologized and silently prayed that he wouldn’t eat her instead as recompense. 

Mammon laughed, he had expected his little human to get mad at him for betraying her like that. He had expected her to start hurling insults at him and cause a distraction to get Lucifer to wrap this whole thing up. His human never did what he expected of her though. “Oi! Ya think you should be admitting to it like that ya dummy?” he asked her. 

“Lily is honest and willing to ADMIT to the committed crime. Unlike you, Mammon.” Beel growled, surprisingly coming to Lily’s defense. “I knew Mammon dragged you into this in the first place.” he told her. 

Lucifer, having finally heard enough, interjected, “So, let me get this straight. Mammon was hungry, so he went rummaging for food in the kitchen late at night, and he dragged Lily along with him. That’s when he found Beel’s custard. Then, he talked Lily into eating the custard. And when Beel saw what had happened, he was so angry that he lost control of himself and went on a rampage? The kitchen ended up getting destroyed, along with Lily’s room, which was on the opposite side of the wall from it. All because of your little prank?”

“ ...Well, I guess that pretty much sums it up, yeah?” Mammon said wanting to get this show on the road, it was a fools attempt to pull one over Lucifer anyways at this stage. 

“Now listen, and listen well. First of all, you three...To begin with, your recklessness has impacted not just Diavolo, but also…”

**_Three hours later…_ **

“..So, now that we’ve got that straight, I expect each of you to learn something from all 

of this.” Lucifer finally concluded his lecture, Lily wondered why she even had to be present since the majority of the lecture had been aimed at his brothers. She was only chastised for falling for Mammon’s tricks and not using their pact to bring him to heel before things got out of hand. 

“W...wow….that took forever..” Mammon blinked, bleary eyed. 

“I’m hungry…” Beelzebub moaned as his stomach groaned. 

Lucifer ignored them both and turned his attention back to Lily. “Lily, it seems you won’t be able to use your room for some time. You know, since it lacks a wall now. So, for the time being, I want you to stay in Beel’s room.”

That had everyone’s attention. Lily was convinced Lucifer must hate her and want to get rid of her by sending her to bunk with the glutton of the house she was sure to be devoured in her sleep! The punishment didn’t seem to fit the crime and she wanted to protest but wondered what use it would be. Lucifer didn’t look like a demon who changed his mind once it was made. 

It turned out Lily didn’t need to speak up for herself because Mammon was already on it. “WHA?! Now just a second. Why’re ya puttin’ Lily in his room? I mean, there’s enough space in my room, isn’t there?!” 

“This is a trivial matter, Mammon. Don’t get jealous over it. It shows immaturity.” Lucifer sighed. 

“Wha...jealous!? Wh-wh-who’re you callin’ jealous?! As if I’d be jealous...pfff! Anyway, Lily has a pact with me!” Mammon continued to argue, earning a small smile from Lily even though she wasn’t keen on the idea of sharing a room with any of them.   
  
“Your pact is irrelevant. Also, if I’m not mistaken, there’s an extra bed in Beel’s room.” Lucifer finished the argument with a glare. Leaving Mammon growling but defeated.

“Do you understand, Beel? This isn’t a request.” Lucifer said, eyeing the younger brother. 

Once again Beel reminded Lily of a puppy that had been thoroughly scolded by its master as he sadly responded. “….Yeah. I understand.”

“….Ugh. This sucks.” Mammon voiced his complaint once more before storming out of the room. Lucifer suppressed an eye roll as he watched Mammon leave. Turning once more to the human on his couch he held out a hand. It took Lily a moment to realize he wanted the photo frame, she was hesitant to hand it over but in the end she realized the futility of resisting Lucifer at this point. She had barely set the frame in his outstretched hand when there was a loud pop and a spark of light and when Lucifer handed the frame back to her it was no longer broken, the photo no longer torn and scratched, the glass no longer smudged in her blood. 

Lily looked up at Lucifer but he was already turning his back to her as she issued her quiet thanks. Lucifer motioned for Beel to show her out and Lily reluctantly left with the Avatar of Gluttony.


	16. Avatar of Sloth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily confronts Belphegor.

Just as Lily was about to follow Beel into his room, Mammon showed up with a sack full of her things that he’d salvaged from her room. A RAD uniform, some clothes, toiletries and she blushed when she spied a few under things at the bottom of the sack. 

“Thank you Mammon.” Lily smiled at him sweetly, touched that he’d gone out of his way to do that when no one had asked or ordered him to. 

“Yeah, well...be grateful, human.” Mammon tried to shrug off the gesture as he turned to Beel, pointing a finger at his younger brother. “Look after her and...no eating my human! Ya got it?!” he snapped, still red faced as he stalked off to his own room and let the door slam shut behind him. 

  
“So, this is my room.” Beel said simply as they entered his room. Lily looked around, the room was certainly built for two. She admired the way the room was mirrored on two sides. Red and Purple, there was a design on the wall behind each bed, a sun and moon. A spiral staircase led to a loft. It certainly was a spacious room. 

Lily wasn’t sure what she should do. The red side of the room looked lived in while the purple side seemed vacant. “Should I sleep over there?” she asked, pointing to the perfectly made and unused looking bed on the purple side. 

“No. Use my bed. It’s the one on the left. Don’t use the bed on the right. I’ll sleep on the couch.” Beel told her as he grabbed some extra blankets and pillow from a closet. 

“Why sleep on the couch when there are two beds?” Lily asked, not understanding. 

“The bed on the right is my twin brother's. His name is Belphegor. He’s in the human world right now as an exchange student.” Beel explained as he shuffled to the staircase, she assumed the couch must be up in the loft. 

“Oh? He’s in the human realm?” Lily asked, curious. She remembered the first night they mentioned something about exchange students going to the human realm and celestial realm. 

Beel paused on the staircase. “Yeah. You came from the human world to the Devildom, and Belphie was sent from the Devildom to the human world. He went there with another demon by the name of Diaval. ...Belphie had a falling out with Lucifer, so he was chosen to be an exchange student. Belphie didn’t want to go, but he was forced. So don’t mention his name in front of Lucifer.” Beel sighed sadly. 

“Can you tell me more about Belphie?” Lily asked, she couldn’t stop thinking about the eyes of the prisoner in the attic and how they looked just like Beels. 

“Even though we’re twins, all that means is that our father made us at the same time. It’s not like we’re alike in any way. Still, Belphie and I always got along. We used to have a little sister, Lilith. So the three of us were always together: me, Belphie and Lilith. ..But that was a long time ago now.” Beel made to move up the stairs again but Lily wanted to know more. 

“You had a sister?” she asked, hoping to keep him talking. 

“I don’t feel like talking about her right now. When Belphie returns to the Devildom, you’ll go back to the human world. Which means you two are never gonna meet each other.” Beel stated and Lily was sure he was going to end the conversation there as she stared at him curiously. 

“...What? Why’re you staring at me like that? I told you, didn’t I? Belphie and I are twins, but we don’t look alike.” Beel stated again a little impatiently. 

“Do you have any photos of Belphie?” Lily asked, thinking it would be strange if they didn’t. Then she’d know once and for all. Beel looked like he was going to say no for a moment until he gave her a small smile and set his stuff down on the stairs and walked her out of his room and into the starwell with all the portraits. 

“See? Right there, that’s Belphie.” Beel said, pointing to a portrait. Lily had passed these pictures so many times but never really took the time to look and there he was, the whole time. She almost blurted out the truth to Beelzebub right then and there, he seemed so sad about his twin being gone. Lily decided she needed to hold onto this secret for a little while longer though. For one, she wanted to know why Belphegor had tried to deceive her. And also, after the tantrum Beelzebub just had over a small cup of custard, she’d hate to think what he might do if he found out his twin was locked up in the attic. 

  
  


That night, when Lily could hear the heavy snores of Beelzebub she took her chances sneaking up to the attic again. To her relief, Lucifer didn’t pop out of any shadows to apprehend her.  Belphegor was already waiting for her at the door when she topped the stairs. “...ah, it’s you. So, how did it go? I trust you haven’t forgotten what I told you? Have you managed to gain Beelzebub’s trust somewhat?” the demon asked her with that lazy look of his.

Lily stopped an arms length away from the door, staring at him thoughtfully before she finally answered him. “It’s nice to see you again….Belphegor.”

“Aww, so you’ve already figured me out, have you? Well, you’re no fun at all. That’s right. I’m Belphegor, Avatar of Sloth. And I’m the seventh demon living here in this building.” he announced and gave Lily a lazy, mocking bow. 

“Why did you lie?” Lily asks of him. 

“Why did I lie to you…? Ah, you must be referring to how I pretended to be a human. It wasn’t so much that I lied to you... more that I was teasing you. Though I figured it wouldn’t be long before you found out the truth either way. Humans really are a stupid, foolish lot.” Belphegor laughed. 

Lily narrowed her eyes at him, not feeling very amused at all. “If you think I was fooled, then you’re the foolish one. I don’t trust anyone here.” Lily admitted. 

Belphegor braced his arms against the door as he peered at her. “If that’s true why do you care? Why did you come back?” he asked with a shrug. 

Lily didn’t answer, because other than her insatiable curiosity and need to know all things, she didn’t really have a good answer for him. 

“Did Beel actually tell you about me?” Belphegor asked. “Well, that alone suggests that he trusts you. He and my other brothers all believe that I was forced to go to the human world as an exchange student, don’t they? I’d love to see the looks on their faces if they found out that Lucifer was actually keeping me here in this filthy attic. Heh Heh...But now you know the truth, don’t you? I lied to you, sure. But Lucifer did lock me up in here.. That’s the truth.” Belphegor had her pinned with that unreadable look of his. 

“Why can’t you just get your brother’s to help you?” Lily argued. 

“If that were possible, I would've done it long ago. Think about it. If my other brothers learned about my current situation, what do you think they’d do? I’m sure they’d fly into a fit of rage and confront Lucifer about it. And if that happened, it wouldn’t be any ordinary family squabble. No, it might very well devolve into a war that would envelope the entire Devildom.  If worse came to worst, even the human world wouldn’t be spared its effects. I’d like to find a peaceful resolution to all this. For Lucifer, for the Devildom, and for the human world as well. Personally, I’d like to be able to have a proper, face-to-face talk with Lucifer. Sure, we may have had a falling out, but really, it was only a little misunderstanding. If I could just talk with him, he’d realize that was the case. I need to find some way to get out of here, find Lucifer, and have a talk with him. That’s all I want. And that’s the truth. You understand, right?” It was as if his whole body was pleading with her to understand and help him but she couldn’t help thinking that this was possibly the most cunning demon she’d met so far. She needed to be careful with this one. 

Sure, Beelzebub himself had mentioned a falling out between Lucifer and Belphegor, so that much must be true. Did Belphegor really have any intentions of making up though? She’d already considered the fact that Beel might fly into a rage if he found out, but the others? She wasn’t sure. Some of the other things he said sounded highly exaggerative too. 

“No..no I don’t” Lily finally said, looking firmly into his eyes. “This isn’t my world...and this isn’t my problem.” she told him, remember the warning that Lucifer had given her. Reminding herself that this had nothing to do with her goal of finding her father. 

“Now, now, don’t reject me like that. That hurts, you know? You’re the only person I can count on to help me now.” Belphegor pleaded with his sad eyes but his voice was mocking. 

When Lily shook her head and back away towards the stairs, Belphegor laughed ruefully. “If you reconsider and decide you want to help, come back here. I’ll be waiting for you.” he said as he walked back to the large bed to crawl underneath the covers as Lily fled down the stairs and quietly snuck back into Beel’s bedroom. 

Without her journal to write in, it was a long night of tossing and turning. 

  
  


“Ah, if you were hoping to catch a nosy little mouse. You just missed her.” Belphegor said sleepily when he sensed Lucifer in his prison cell. 

“Tch.” Lucifer clicked his tongue. “You think anything happens in this house? Let alone this heavily spelled attic without me knowing about it?” 

“So you let her come?” Belphegor asked. His tone implied he didn’t really care but his eyes were awake and calculating. 

“She’s had an interesting effect on some of your siblings. Maybe she’ll have an effect on your attitude.” Lucifer told him. 

Belphegor smiled cruelly. “Is that your game. Huh? Think the soft little human is going to melt my cold dead heart? Is that it?” he laughed. 

“Maybe it’s you she’s having an effect on.” Belphegor continued with a chuckle. “Seems she’s made you soft in the head dear brother.” he mocked. 

“I’ve strengthened the wards here, you won’t be able to harm her. So whatever plans or schemes you’re cooking up to escape, you might as well put them out of your head. That human will not be able to help you.” Lucifer warned his brother before leaving. 

“We shall see dear older brother...we shall see…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the game I always thought it was odd that Lucifer practically knew about everything that went on in the HOL so it seemed silly that he wouldn't know that the MC had talked with Belphegor. It's implied that he knew she went into the attic but for this story we're going with the theme that Lucifer knows all about their little meetings. 
> 
> What are your thoughts on this?


	17. Restaurants and Blood Oaths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily goes to Restaurant Six and spends some time with Levi.

Bleary eyed, from lack of sleep, Lily stares morosely at the floor. Lucifer has gathered everyone in the dining room that morning to explain why there isn’t any breakfast. “Our Kitchen is ruined, and it’s all because of you guys. Wow, thanks for that.” Satan says with a crisp tone that belies the anger swirling in his eyes. 

“Yeah, this is awful. What are we going to do now?” Asmo pouts but meanwhile Leviathan is laughing. “This ain’t funny, Levi!” Mammon snaps. 

“I’m hungry.” Beel says sadly, his tummy rumbling in complaint with him. 

“It’s no use grumbling about it, Beel. Food isn’t going to magically appear out of thin air.” Satan says. 

“Guess we’re gonna have to eat out. What a hassle..” Mammon sighs. 

Asmo fixes Mammon with a pointed glare. “Uh, unless I’m mistaken, I believe this is your fault, now isn’t it? Neither of you guys get to complain.”

Lucifer interjects before it can get too out of hand. “Apparently it’s going to take some time before the kitchen is repaired. So it’s fine if you eat out, but make sure to be back before curfew, understand?”

“Wait, what? You’re not coming with us, Lucifer?” Asmo asks.

“No, Diavolo has invited me to dine with him until this is sorted.” Lucifer explains. 

“What?! You mean he only invited you?! What about the rest of us?!” Asmo complains dramatically. Lily wonders about these demons, they’ve been alive for how long and they can’t fend for themselves?

“Obviously, we’re not invited.” Satan adds with no shortage of condescension. 

“Wh...I don’t believe this! I mean, come on! That totally ain’t fair, Lucifer! It ain’t fair at all.” Mammon is being loud as usual. Lily wonders if she can sneak away without anyone noticing. 

Lucifer smirks sadistically. “I’m sorry. What’s that now, Mammon? You say you’ll forego food and water, and repair the kitchen all by yourself?”

Mammon laughs and smiles like an idiot. “Please tell Lord Diavolo that I send my warmest regards, dear brother, I hope you have a wonderful time!” He changes his tune quickly. 

“You’re pathetic” Satan mutters, eyes still flashing. 

“Shaddup! Bein’ pathetic is better than not getting to eat for the rest of my life!” Mammon is back to shouting loudly. 

In the end Asmo and Satan decide to eat out together, Levi goes back to his room, citing something about rations, and Beel graciously decides to take responsibility for Mammon and Lily since he was the one that destroyed the kitchen. Lily can’t help but be impressed by Beelzebub in that moment. Instead of continuing to shunt the blame on Mammon he decides to take responsibility for his actions, no matter if Mammon did have a part to play in it. It's a far cry better than Mammon’s behavior as he continually blames everyone else for his problems. 

Lily has decided to take most of her meals at the RAD campus since the cafeteria provides free meals for the students. However, she’s excited to be going out with Beel and Mammon that evening as she’s barely been away from campus and she’s curious about the shops and restaurants here in the Devildom. 

After classes Mammon is in a good mood as he rushes Beel and Lily out the door. There’s a restaurant he’s been dyin’ to try but there was no way he was going to go there on his own dime. Beel seems agreeable to go almost anywhere as long as food is available. Once they arrive at Restaurant Six Lily feels underdressed in her RAD uniform. This seems to her like the human world equivalent of a high end establishment. 

"So this is the crazy amazing restaurant you were telling us about?” Beel asks, unconvinced as he looks around as they are seated. “Looks crazy expensive.”

“Aw, come on! Don’t be stingy!....Oh look, our waiter’s here!” Mammon shouts, much too loudly for the nice place they’re in. 

When the waiter approaches their table, Mammon takes no time to launch into an order. “All right..to start us off, I’d like a bottle of this 4000 year old wine..the one that was cursed by an actual pharoah Then I’d like everything on the menu from here...down to here!”

Lily feels like shrinking into her chair, already feeling very out of place and uncomfortable as Beel snaps at Mammon. “That’s all of the most expensive stuff! Don’t be so greedy!”

“Yep. that’s me.” Mammon laughs. “The avatar of greed and you’re gluttony. So I say we go hog wild and chow down! Go on Lily, order anything you want! Don’t hold back!”

Lily feels so embarrassed, this was a horrible idea going anywhere with Mammon. “Lily would you talk some sense into Mammon for me?” Beel pleads with her. That’s when Lily realizes that she’s the only one with the power to reign in Mammon. 

“Enough Mammon. Stop it!” she says to him under her breath as if she’s scolding a child. Trying not to draw anymore attention to their table. 

Suddenly Mammon is yowling like a cat that’s had its tail stepped on making Lily’s embarrassed cheeks redden even more. “What was that?!” Beel asks in alarm. 

“D-Don’t ask me! Whenever Lily, orders me to stop like that, it’s like im paraylzed!” Mammon growls out, his own cheeks flush with embarrassment. 

“Let’s go someplace cheaper.” Beel suggests. “That way I’ll be able to eat three times as much for the same price.” he rationalizes. “I’m cancelling our order.”

But the waiter interjects. “I do apologize, sir...But we have a policy here, you see. When a customer cancels their order, we put a curse on them...One that transforms them into ingredients to be used in our kitchen.”

Lily feels like she might faint, is this how her life ends? In demon stew? Was she going to end up eaten after all?!

Beel is frowning. “That’s not good at all. What do we do now?” I mean, I do like to eat...but I’m not interested in having anything where Mammon is the main ingredient.”

“Wait, THAT’S what you’re worried about?!” Mammon shouts. 

“I guess you’re just going to have to man up and agree to let them turn you into ingredients for their kitchen, Mammon. Lily and I are going to go eat someplace else.” Beel says, starting to stand. 

“YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN’ ME!” Mammon is standing, yelling. Now everyone is looking at them and Lily wonders if a fate worse than being turned into demon vegetables is coming their way. 

  
“Don’t raise your voice, Mammon. This is far too nice of a place for that. You’re embarrassing me.” Lily turns in her seat to see Lucifer standing behind her, looking very tired. 

Diavolo steps up next to Lucifer. “Well hello there, Mammon...Beel. Ah, and I see you’re here too, Lily. What a coincidence.” the prince says as if they weren’t the focus of everyone in the restaurant's attention. Lily hasn’t seen the prince since the disastrous trivia showdown, she feels like everytime they meet there is some sort of drama going on. 

“I’m surprised, Beel...here you are sitting in a restaurant, and yet you look so glum. This isn't like you.” Diavolo observes. “Is there some sort of problem here?”

Lily still feels like crawling under the table as Beel launches into an explanation, sounding even more ludicrous as she listens to it. 

“Well then, the solution is simple.” Lord Diavolo states after patiently listening to Beel. “Instead of cancelling your order, you’ll just eat dinner, pay for it, and that will be that. I'll take care of the bill.”

Lily and Beel look shocked but once again Mammon is flapping his mouth. “ALL RIGHT! That’s great news, ain’t it, Beel! Good thing we talked this over with Lord Diavolo. Welp, time to chow down! I’m gonna eat until I’m ready to explode! As long as Lord Diavolo’s payin’ I think I’ll go ahead and add to our order. I’d like this daily special here.”

“Uh-uh. You’re not eating anything at all, Mammon.” Lucifer speaks coldly over Lily’s shoulder. Lily couldn’t even bring herself to feel sorry for Mammon as he was hauled off to the kitchen, not to be turned into ingredients but to wash dishes for the remainder of their meal. 

  
  
  


A couple days passed by without anything crazy happening. Lily had kept her head down and focused on her classes while her mind wandered over her current circumstance. She still hadn’t had a moment alone with the exchange students outside of classes. Mammon followed her everywhere and if he wasn’t Beel would show up, munching on this or that. She hadn’t seen much of Leviathan since they made their pact but today when she got home from classes she found a slip of paper under her door that asked her to meet Levi outside his room. Exhausted but too curious to turn down the opportunity, Lily found herself outside of Levi’s room after she’d dropped off her book bag 

“Eh? Lily, didn’t expect to see you here. Are you here to see Levi, too? Hold on, ya mean he called you over here as well? Doesn’t he know we’ve got better things to do? I mean, what’s goin’ on with him? He’s always tellin’ everyone to stay outta his room, but now all of a sudden he sends us a message askin’ us to hurry over. Eh, whatever. Let’s just go inside and figure out what this is about.” As usual, Mammon did enough talking for the both of them. Lily didn’t much mind it though since she’d never been a big talker herself. 

Mammon was about to bang on Levi’s door when he paused, “Hold on, Ya know what? Suddenly I’m having second thoughts. I’m not goin’ in. And don’t you go in, neither. I’m getting a real, real bad feeling about this for some reason. Listen, we need to get outta here, and quick -”

Lily was completely confused by Mammon’s behavior as he tried to steer her away from Levi’s room.

“Too late!” Levi said, popping out of nowhere and blocking their path, brandishing a sword. 

“D’AAAH!” Mammon yelps, surprised by his younger brother. Lily covers her mouth to hide her silent giggles.   
  


“I’m not about to let you slip through my fingers, Not now that you’re already here! Come on, hurry up, Inside, both of you.” Levi chuckled, smiling. This was the happiest Lily had ever seen Levi and while Mammon clearly found it creepy, Lily was curious as to Levi’s mood change. 

“D’ah...whoa, hold on! Hey, what the --?! Leggo of my arm, Levi!” Mammon protested as Levi dragged Mammon inside, leaving Lily to follow them. 

“Welcome, my dear brother the Lord of Fools...Welcome, Henry. Welcome to Castle Leviathan.” he greets them officially once they are locked inside. 

“Wha? Which one of us is supposed to be the Lord of Fools and which one’s Henry?” Mammon asks, scratching his head and eyeing the sword warily. 

“Stay in character!” Levi snaps, his usually irritable mood showing for a second before he smiles again. “This needs to feel like we’re really in the world of the tale of the seven lords. Mammon you’re the lord of fools. And Lily is Henry. I mean, duh. That should be obvious. Get a clue!”

“Hey, don’t blame me! I ain’t got a clue about what’s even goin’ on here! Try putting yourself in my shoes, suddenly bein’ thrust into your weird fantasy world - “ Mammon grumbles.

“Whatever. Just sit down here, Mammon. And Lily , you sit right there.” Levi indicated where he wanted them both. Lily complies almost immediately, caught up in Levi’s infectious good mood. 

“Wait, what’s up with this magic seal thing you’ve got on the floor here..? C’mon, this is gettin’ creepy! You could at least tell us what it is you expect us to do here!” Mammon complains more. 

“Mammon, you made a pact with Lily, right?” Levi says speaking over his brother’s grumbling. 

“Not that I had a choice, but yeah.” Mammon huffs impatiently. 

“Right. And I made a pact, too. You know what that means, right? This is just like the situation between the two lords and the hero Henry in TSL! So, Henry makes a covenant with both the Lord of Fools and the Lord of Shadow, right? Up to that point, the two lords had been on super bad terms, but their countries resumed diplomatic relations because of it! Oh, I should mention that the REASON the Lord of Fools and the Lord of Shadow were on bad terms is because the Lord of Fools was an idiot who wasted money and kept getting into debt. And the Lord of Shadow grew sick and tired of it. But then, Henry enters the mix. He talks to each one of them separately, telling them stories about the other, and eventually the two lords decide to put aside their differences. But the major development was when Henry and the Lord of shadow got to the Lord of Fools country to take back the statue of the Goddess of the blue and gold blossom, which had long been kept there.” Lily grins as Levi jumps into one of his long winded monologues. 

“AHH! This is taking too long! Just give us the short version, Levi!” Mammon finally snaps, cutting off Levi’s story. Lily expected another argument to break out but apparently Levi’s good mood couldn’t be broken so easily today. 

“What I’m trying to say is that you, Lily and I are about to swear an oath to be allies.” Levi announces dramatically. 

“...Wha? Allies?” Mammon asks, looking skeptical. 

“That’s right. ALLIES, Mammon. Do you have too much wax in your ears or something?” Levi rolls his eyes as he settles into his own designated spot. 

“W-W-Wait just a second! I sorta get what you’re tryin’ to do now, but what exactly are ya planning on usin’ that sword there for, huh?!” Mammon exclaimed excitedly. 

“Are you dense? That’s what we use when we make our oath, obviously.” Levi rolled his eyes once more, wondering if he shouldn’t kick Mammon out and just make the oath with Lily...but not he needed that idiot or it would be like how it was in TSL.

“Hey, whoa..slow down! That’s a real sword, ain’t it?! Where’d you even get somethin’ like that, anyway?!” Mammon asks wondering if he was quick enough to get both himself and Lily out of this Otaku’s lair before his hairbrained brother tried to chop them to bits with that sword. 

“Off of Akuzon, of course. Where else? I’m a premium member. I can get anything I need shipped to me by noon the next day at the touch of a button. Everything from luxury sports cars to black gecko food. And since I’m a premium member, the shipping is free! I bought this sword on an Akuzon limited-time thunder deal. It’s the Lord of Shadow’s greatsword. Check it out...Take a look at how detailed the crest is on it. I mean, THAT’S craftsmanship!” Levi says proudly displaying the sword. 

“I don’t know nothin’ about any of that, Levi, and I don’t care!” Mammon snaps with agitation. Lily couldn’t understand what had Mammon so wound up, what was wrong with a little make believe? She used to make believe in the woods all the time to preoccupy her time but now that she was living in a fantasy world she hadn’t had the mind for it. 

“Wha? You’re saying you’ve never heard of an Akuzon thunder deal? LMAO, that’s hilarious! Like, have you been hiding under a rock for the last decade, Mammon? Pff, what a noob!” Levi laughs, slapping his knee. Lily honestly couldn’t follow the conversation but it was fun to watch either way. 

“That’s NOT what I meant, Levi...AAAH! Quit wavin’ that thing around! D’AAAH, don’t point it at me! Hey! Lily! Say somethin’ to Levi!” Mammon shouts, waving at her. Lily could only wonder what Mammon expects her to do about it?  
  


“Let’s make this oath, Lord of Shadows!” she cheers, leaving Mammon looking at her like she is insane but Levi is looking incredibly thrilled, so it was worth it. 

*ahem* Levi cleared his throat and then with dramatic effect, he held the sword high. “ UPON THIS HOLY BLADE SHALT THEE SWEAR AN OATH OF BLOOD…”

“D’aaaaahh!!” Mammon cringes, almost throwing his body over Lily.

“Okay, done! The three of us are now allies, bound by a blood oath.” Levi beams, turning to put the sword in a sheath before placing it on a decorative stand. 

“S-seriously, I thought I was gonna end up dead for sure there for a second. You just took 5000 years off of my life, Levi…” Mammon complains dramatically. Honestly, Lily couldn’t figure out who was more dramatic out of them. 

“Lily, since we’re allies now, we’ll need to go ahead and exchange numbers. But don’t get the wrong idea here. It’s not like I want to be FRIENDS or anything. But now that we’re sworn allies, it’d be weird if we weren’t able to call each other. Totally strange. That’s the only reason I’m doing this.” he rambled as he snatched her D.D.D. and put his contact info inside. “ ….And done. We’re on each other’s contact list now. I guess it’d be okay to give me a call when you have a free moment. I mean, I wouldn’t mind or anything. I dunno if I’ll respond….But I mean, I might...if I happen to have absolutely nothing better to do at the time, that is. But you know, don’t get your hopes up. I’m a pretty busy guy. And there are a lot of games on my pile of shame I still have to play.” Leviathan continues to mumble as his cheeks turn red. 

Suddenly Mammon is grinning like a Cheshire cat. “...What am I gonna do with you, little brother? You’re just dyin’ to exchange numbers with Lily, huh? You can be sorta cute sometimes, ya know that? You don’t actually have any other friends you can exchange numbers with, do ya?” 

Levi colors an even deeper shade of red as he retorts, “Well, at least people haven’t blacklisted me for sending messages begging for money, Unlike a certain demon I know who goes by the name of Mammon.” he spat. 

“I take back what I said! There ain’t nothin’ cute about you, Levi!” Mammon snapped back. 

They both stop to look at Lily who had begun to laugh, tears in her eyes. “I guess this is what it’s like to have siblings.”

“Pfft. I’m outta here.” Mammon announces. “I’ve got better things to do. She’s your responsibility tonight ALLY.” Mammon mocks before leaving Levi’s room quicker than anyone could protest.

Levi and Lily look at each other awkwardly, neither knowing what to say now. “I guess I should get back to my room.” Lily finally says as she turns towards the door.  
  
“Wait!” Levi practically shouts, making Lily jump. “D-Do Do you want to watch something with me?” Lily perks up at the invitation. “Okay.” she nods shyly. 

“R-right! Right. Because I can’t have a pact, let alone be allies with a complete noob like you. I..I mean what would people think? ME? Associating with a normie like you? Tch. I’ve got to get you up to speed. You’ll never be as good as me of course, but I can’t have you making me look bad you know?” Levi rambles on as he selects certain mangas from his shelf and starts stacking them in a pile for her. “You can start with these. I’ll quiz you on them later so don’t even think to just pretend to read them like some of my scumbag brothers have done.”

“You’re going to loan those to me?” Lily blinks in surprise. “Thanks Levi.” she smiles sweetly at him. 

Levi’s cheeks reddened again as he stared down at her. _Ugh. So cute._ He thinks to himself as he hides his face behind his hand. “It’s not like I’m doing it for you okay? Don’t get the wrong idea. I just can’t have you making me look bad. That’s all.”

Levi was looking through his DVD’s trying to decide. “I suppose we should start here, if we’re going to be allies you need to understand the driving force behind my existence don’t you?” he asks her while holding up a well worn copy of The Magical Ruri-Hana: Demon Girl. 

Levi looks around his room, he normally sits in his computer chair for everything. He rarely has anyone over in his room. “Um..” grabbing some blankets and pillows out of his tub he threw them on the floor. “I guess you can sit there.” he mumbles as he puts in the DVD and sits in his computer chair.

Lily arranged everything to make herself comfortable as she settled down to watch The Magical Ruri-Hana: Demon Girl season one. While Lily was transfixed by Levi’s television, Levi found his gaze straying from the screen to the human stretched out on his floor. Her chin rested cutely on her hand, her arms folded on top of his pillow. Her lavender locks cascaded over her shoulder and she looked as cute as any of his 2-D girls...except she wasn’t, she was 3-D and she was right there in his room. 

“It’s late.” Lily yaws after they finished the first season. “I should go to bed.” she says as she rises to stretch. She had skipped dinner with Beel to keep spending time with Leviathan and he’d offered her one of his rations. It wasn’t great but it wasn’t the worst thing Lily had eaten since coming to the Devildom. 

“Y-yeah...here.” Leviathan grabs the stack of mangas he’d set aside for her earlier. “D-don’t forget to read these.” he says, brusquely shoving them into her arms. “Thanks Levi.” she beams as she makes her way to the door. Before she was out the door Levi called out to her, “I-If..if you don’t have anything else to do...y-you c-can come by…p-play games or something…” 

“Okay.” she smiles again, “I’ve never played video games before, you’ll have to teach me.” she tells him and gives him a small wave before leaving. 

  
Levi huffs out a sigh. What was he doing? He felt like his world had been turned upside down since Lily showed up at the House of Lamentation. Why did it feel so good to be around her? He picked up his pillows and blankets to toss them back in his tub when he caught a whiff of her scent. Levi eye’d his door making sure it was shut before he buries his nose in the pillow. Her smell reminded him of sunshine, the primeval forest and something sweet and fruity. With a growl of frustration he throws them aside in his tub. He hasn’t been attracted to a three dimensional since they dragged him back here and he crafted this persona for himself, he’s carefully boxed and directed all his...base urges towards the 2D characters in his games and graphic novels. It was safer that way for him and for them. Leviathan knew he’d never have a chance with a girl like Lily who was so sweet and good. No he was just a yucky otaku that couldn’t compete with all the talented, good looking demons she was surrounded by. If he reverted to his former self...well that wouldn’t work either. She’d be terrified of him if she ever saw the real him that swam underneath his skin. _Ugh. It’s not fair._ He thinks to himself before losing himself in a zombie FPS while he tries to forget about the girl with lavender hair and a smile sweet enough to make angels cry.


	18. Sealing her Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily agrees to help Belphegor.

Lily was happy that it was finally the weekend again. Grabbing a book that she’d borrowed from the RAD Library she heads towards the planetarium to read. She knew if she stays in her room it wouldn’t be long before someone showed up and she wanted some time alone. However, hearing familiar voices talking inside the planetarium had her pausing just outside. 

Lucifer and Beel were talking in strained but hushed voices. Lily knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop, it wasn’t polite after all, but she found herself lingering despite that. She hears Beelzebub entreat Lucifer to let him take Belphegor’s place in the human realm but Lucifer refuses him. 

“Do you understand Lord Diavolo’s dream?” Lucifer asks of Beel.

“For angels, demons and humans to recognize, accept, and respect one another. And to create a new world together.” Beel answers him.

“Exactly. And the first step toward that goal is the exchange program. But Belphegor opposed it. I will eliminate anyone who tries to stand in the way of Diavolo’s dream, no matter who they might be. Even if it's my own brother. Beel, it’s not that I don’t understand how you feel Belphie is your twin brother and you were especially close to him. So with that said, answer me this, Who would you choose to side with, Belphegor or me?” Lucifer asks this of Beel and he is unable to answer him directly.

A whispering in her ear has Lily’s heart leaping out of her chest. Lucky that she’s not a screamer. “So he can’t manage to answer, eh? That’s just like Beel…” Mammon is suddenly beside her, how does he always know where to find her? She glares at him. “What? Don’t look at me like that. You were eavesdropping’ on them too. You trying to tell me that it’s okay for you to do it but not me? If we stay here too long eventually Lucifer is gonna find us. Come on, let’s head over that way.” Mammon says, pulling on her arm. 

Alone in the dining room Lily tells Mammon what Beel had mentioned about Belphie and Lilith. Mammon is very surprised that Beel had mentioned them at all to the human. Mammon struggles to explain to Lily what happened to them in the Celestial realm and how things changed once Lucifer pledged his loyalty to Lord Diavolo, keeping things pretty vague. 

“...Lucifer wouldn’t listen to a thing Belphie said. He just sent him straight up to the human world, and that was that. I mean, I’m not sayin’ that Belphie would’ve convinced him of anything even if he’d taken the time to listen. But still...if the two of them would’ve talked it out, I can’t help thinkin’ things would’ve turned out different...What did ya hear that?! I just said somethin’ kinda awesome there, didn’t I?! It’s not often I do that! Way to go, me! MAN I’m amazing! Hey, come on, I think I deserve some praise here! And while you’re at it, how about ya show a little reverence, too!” Mammon was looking at Lily for some praise but she was lost in her own thoughts. 

“Oi! What’s up with that vacant look!?” Mammon says, throwing up his hands. “I dunno why I bother talkin’ to ya at all!”

Ignoring Mammon, Lily walked back to the common room and flopped on a couch to read. Mammon of course followed her grumbling about ungrateful humans. It didn’t take long after Lily had stuck her nose in her book that Mammon became bored and said he was going out and orders her to stay inside. Of course Lily can’t focus on the book, she is too busy thinking about Beelzebub and how sad he seems. He also seems to suffer from nightmares if any of the noises she’d heard coming from the loft were any indication the past couple nights.

Lily didn’t even have any siblings so she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a twin. All she could relate it to was the loss she felt from losing her parents. The ache that came from missing them. She couldn’t help but ache for Beelzebub too. She wonders why Lucifer is so devoted to Lord Diavolo, was it merely a matter of pride? Lucifer doesn’t even seem to like humans much, at least he seems to have little to no respect for Lily at any rate. She can’t imagine him tolerating her existence if it were not for his seemingly unwavering loyalty to Lord Diavolo. What reason could Lucifer have for such loyalty that he’d lock up his own brother?

She also wonders about Belphegor. He’d already lied to her and he was asking her, a human, the exchange student for help. If he had opposed the exchange program in the first place, causing Lucifer to lock him up, why was he seeking help from her? Was she really his only option? Did he hate humans? Why? She knew she couldn’t trust him but something in her ached for them. This wasn’t her family, these were not her problems. She should be focused on finding out what she could about her father and then put all her energy into escaping this place. 

Instead she found herself feeling more and more comfortable here. Not in the Devildom but with these people...these demons. Was she that lonely? Was this the beginning of what they call Stockholm syndrome? Or was it just that she’d never been good at ignoring a need? What could she really hope to do to help these demons though? She was no family therapist and this family was ancient, could she really hope to make a difference. Again, she didn’t even understand her urge to help them. 

When she spied Lucifer leaving through the front door, her mind was suddenly made up. She didn’t understand the why or how, but while she was here she would do what she could for these wayward demons. Hoping that Lucifer was going to be gone for a while she snuck up the stairs to the attic once more. 

Once again Belphegor is waiting for her at the door when she tops the stairs. “...Well, this certainly is unexpected. It’s only been a few days, and already you’re back. I thought it would be longer before you returned, if you ever did at all. So, I take it you’ve decided to help me? I have to wonder, though, What was it that changed your mind?” he asks, looking into her eyes as if he had already decided he did not care what her answer was.

Lily blinks at him, wondering the same thing of herself. Belphegor rolls his eyes and sighs. “I suppose your reason doesn’t really matter one way or another.” 

“I...well...Beel looks so lonely without you…” she finally says. 

“Ah, I see…Well, no matter what your reason is, this works out well for me. So I’m fine with it.” he shrugs. “But if you’re harboring any sympathy for me...just know that it won’t get you anywhere with me.” he says, his voice a bit sharper than usual. 

“Now, I’ll say this as many times as I have to, because it’s important. You can’t tell my other brothers anything about this. They have to keep believing that I’m up in the human world as an exchange student. Now if you’ve got that, then go ahead and go back to your room.” Belphegor dismisses her. Lily doesn’t appreciate his attitude and she thinks he’s very lucky that she’s not doing this for him. As she turns to leave, he calls out to her. 

“Actually, wait a minute. There’s something important I still haven’t said. I really do appreciate your help, Honestly. If you hadn’t shown up, I would’ve been trapped up here for who knows how long. So I want you to know I’m grateful...Thank you, Lily.” he offers her a small smile before turning away. 

Lily only shakes her head and hurries down the stairs, hoping that Lucifer hasn’t returned while she’s been up here. Belphegor lies in bed, listening to her retreating footsteps. The mild entertainment over, he sighs in boredom. He really didn’t expect her to be back but she’s more stupid than he gave her credit for. She’ll be easy to manipulate, not that he can get his hopes up that she’ll be able to gain any more pacts with his brothers. He knows his twin has never shown interest in humans and has never made a pact before, sure he made deals in the past in exchange for food. Unless this human was a world class chef he couldn’t imagine she had anything to offer his brother. 

  
  
Lily was going to make her way back to Beels room when she heard a commotion coming from downstairs. Her hand on the door knob she wonders if she should ignore it but her curiosity always gets the best of her and she finds herself making her way down to the entrance hall. 

There she finds Mammon shouting and making a big deal out of something, nothing new, she thinks. “Whaddya mean we all have to go?! This sucks! Man I hate that guy.” Grumbling loudly with his hands on his hips.

“You can blame Simeon for giving him the idea.” Lucifer says dryly. “If I have to go, then everyone is going. Now go pack.” he orders. 

Asmo is also there complaining. “Lucifer! Do I look like I can rough it in the woods?! How am I supposed to keep up on my beauty routines?! How am I supposed to get my beauty sleep?!” 

Lucifer smiles at the Avatar of Lust. “Did you say something Asmodeus? You want me to confiscate all your beauty products? You don’t need them anymore?” 

“Yikes!” Asmodeus yelps in alarm and starts to rush off to his room. “You’re so cruel Lucifer.” he practically cries. 

“What’s going on?” Lily asks, wondering what could have both Mammon and Asmo in a tizzy. 

Ah, Lily. There you are.” Lucifer places his lazer focus on her. “Simeon has invited us all to go camping and Lord Diavolo has decided we should all do this together to strengthen relations between the exchange students and the student council. We’re leaving in an hour. Pack what you can and borrow what you need. Oh and do tell Leviathan, let him know he has no choice in the matter.” Lucifer turns his back to her and heads to his study, clearly dismissing her. 

Lily can’t help but roll her eyes at his bossy attitude but she can’t help but be excited! She’d never spent so much time indoors since she came to the Devildom. Sure, there was no sunshine here but she’d still rather spend her time outdoors than cooped up all the time. She practically skips her way to Leviathan's room. 

Knocking on his door, he replies quickly. “Pass-code.” 

Lily frowns, he hadn’t told her the pass-code. “Umm...it’s your Ally...Henry.” she tries appealing to him. Leviathan opens the door with a smirk. “Nice try normie. I’ll let it pass since I forgot to send you today’s pass-code.”

Lily smiles and then is quickly excited again having passed that obstacle. “Guess what Levi!?” she says with a smile. Despite himself, he finds himself smiling back even though he rolls his eyes at her enthusiasm. “What?” he asks with a shrug. 

“We’re going CAMPING! We leave in one hour. So uh...you should get ready. Lucifer says..you have no choice.” her voice became softer and less excited as she delivers Lucifer’s message. The small smile on Leviathan’s face is quickly replaced by one of horror. 

“Wh?! WHAT?! Camping?! Seriously?!” he throws up his hands and stalks back into his room, Lily quickly follows. “This just isn’t fair! They can’t expect me to leave my room now! I’ve got things to do! My schedule is completely full!” 

“It can’t be that bad..” Lily tries her best to be encouraging. This demon otaku could definitely use some outdoor time. “It’s good for you.” she tries.

Levi levels her with a glare. “Tch. You wouldn’t understand. Didn’t you say you grew up in the woods? Well I’m made for the water, not the woods! These days I’m only good for being a worthless otaku!” he vents, frustrated by this turn of events. 

“I’m sure we can find a way to make it fun.” Lily tries again to console him. “We...uh..we could play at being the Lord of Shadows and Henry...on a..dangerous quest through the woods!” She tries her best to redirect him with positive encouragement. 

Levi is still frowning but he’s stopped pacing around his room. “Really? You’d do that?” he asks, unconvinced. 

“Sure.” Lily smiles. “We made an oath right?”

“Heh. Alright Normie. I guess I don’t have a choice anyway. It’s not like Lucifer is going to let me stay home….but can you do me a favor?” he asks her. 

“What sort of favor?” Lily asks, with only a hint of suspicion. 

Levi looks away, he can’t meet her eyes. “C-C-Could you..um..could you command me to go?” he asks her and Lily's eyebrows rise in shock. She never thought one of them would ask her to give them a command, Mammon certainly always made a fuss about it. 

“D-Don’t get me wrong!” Levi exclaims a bit loudly when he glances at her and sees her expression. “I just don’t want to go and if you make me...then I’ll feel better about it and if the whole trip sucks..well then It’ll..it’ll be your fault.” Levi was only being partially honest with Lily. Mostly he was just curious to know what it felt like to be commanded by her, to feel the pact between them more strongly. 

“Okay.” Lily smiles, thinking to herself that these demons are very odd. “Then Leviathan, I command you to come camping and have a wonderful time.” she said, meaning every word. 

Levi let out a little gasp but Lily didn’t feel any different. Did it work? “T-th-thanks.” Levi stutters with a blush on his cheeks. “I better get ready then,” he tells her. 

“Okay! Me too.” She beams and skips out his door to head to Beels room. 

“You know Beel...if you eat them all now you won’t have any for roasting.” Lily tells Beel when she enters the room to see him stuffing his cheeks with jumbo sized marshmallows. Beel looks at her like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. He swallows. “They’re just so good…” he laments. 

Just then Mammon walks in, always without knocking. Beel glares at Mammon. “Just because Lily is sleeping here doesn’t mean you can just barge into my room whenever you want.”

Before an argument breaks out, Lily says. “Beel, why don’t you have Mammon pack your marshmallows so you don’t eat them all.” 

“No. I don’t trust him. He might try to sell them.” Beel protests, still glaring at Mammon. “Tch.” Mammon clicks his tongue but otherwise ignores his brother. 

“Here ya go human.” he says and throws a large coat over her shoulders. It’s much too big for her, falling past her knees. It’s also much too fashionable for camping but she couldn’t deny that it was warm. “It gets cold out there at night.” Mammon tells her gruffly and drops a sleeping bag at her feet before stalking back out of the bedroom.

“Maybe you should have Lucifer hold on to them then?” she says to Beel as he stuffs the contents of the second bag into his mouth. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here the story is going to deviate more and more from the main story-line. It'll still follow events pretty closely but certain things will happen differently or in a different order. I hope ya'll will enjoy the changes I make for Lily's version of events.


	19. The Camping Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and the Demons go camping in the primeval forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A HUGE THANK YOU to Cluelesse who let me bounce ideas with them for the camping trip and also sacrificed their time to help edit and polish up this chapter. If you haven't read their story with James and Leila, you are missing out! Seriously, go check it out. https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900351

Lily and Beelzebub make their way downstairs where Lucifer is waiting on everyone. Aside from Beel, no one looks happy about this camping trip. But Lily refuses to let these pessimistic demons ruin her mood. She is looking forward to the trip and her only disappointment is that it is only for one night.

“Is Cerberus coming with us?” Lily asks Lucifer. Her face serene, her voice calm, belying the excitement she feels. 

Lucifer frowns at her question. “No. He’s not a pet to be brought on leisure activities.” he lectures her. “He is a demon, one with work to do.”

Lily tilts her head to the side, curious as ever. “Isn’t Cerberus an animal?” she asks, confused by his phrasing. 

Lucifer sighs but gives her a small smirk regardless, crossing his arms he decides to indulge her question with an answer. “Cerberus is an ancient demon, and while he may not be capable of speech and can only take the form he has that doesn’t mean that he isn’t intelligent or powerful. Do not make the mistake treating him like a mere beast.”

Lily still thinks that it’s a shame that Cerberus can’t join them, she’s sure he’d enjoy getting out of wherever they keep him cooped up. Demon or beast, everyone needs to get out for some fresh air, to stretch their legs. 

Asmodeus is the last to join them at the entrance hall, shortly after Levi had arrived, ignoring everyone, with a sulky expression and with his headphones on. “Will someone pleeeease help me with these?!” Asmo exclaims from the top of the stairs, indicating his numerous bags. He looks like he is ready to take a week-long vacation. 

“Yo, Asmo. We’re only gonna be gone one night.” Mammon clicks his tongue but Asmo ignores his brother. 

“Beeeeeel?” Asmo flutters his eyelashes at his younger, brawny brother. 

Lily sighs inwardly, she wants to go and is feeling impatient with these demons and their antics. She knows from her Demon Biology 101 class that a demon like the Avatar of Lust is perfectly capable of carrying all those bags and more without breaking a sweat. 

“Asmodeus.” Lucifer addresses his brother with his usually chilly tone. “You have ten seconds to pick two bags to bring. If you fail to do so, I will choose two bags at random for you.” he informs. Asmo starts to complain and tells Lucifer that he isn’t being fair. “Nine.” Lucifer begins counting as he is making his way towards Asmodeus on the stairs. “Eight.”

Lily watches, as Asmodeus lets out a piteous scream at Lucifer’s approach and scrambles to stuff things from one bag into another and selects his two bags before Lucifer reaches him. Lily can barely keep track as Asmodeus moves with demonic speed to get the job done. He’s up with his two bags in hand, practically panting with relief as Lucifer tops the stairs. Mammon and Satan are snickering all the while. Lily feels like laughing too.

“Good.” Lucifer smiles sadistically, as he takes one of Asmodeus bags to bring downstairs. Only to drop it there for him to pick up again. “Now let’s go.” Asmodeus is outraged by that treatment, but doesn’t dare to say a thing.  Lily feels as if Lucifer treats his siblings like children. But then again, she can hardly blame him, considering how they act most of the time. 

Walking to the RAD courtyard to meet up with the rest of the exchange students and Diavolo, there is no shortage of muttered complaints that Lucifer pointedly ignores. Lily does her best to tune them all out. She’s going camping, she’s going to the woods!  
  
As happy as she feels right now, she can’t help the looming guilt and nostalgia that descends upon her like a fog. Should she be this content right now? Surrounded by demons in an alien place. Camping, the woods, it all reminds her of home and the father that isn’t there waiting for her return. For the first time since she’s arrived in the Devildom, the thought of returning home fills her with loneliness. All that is waiting for her back home is an empty cabin, with no friends or family to speak of. Well, maybe Jim would be glad to see her again. She allows herself a small smile at the thought. 

While Beelzebub, Lucifer and Satan walk at the front of the group with Lily keeping pace in the middle, Mammon and Levi trudge at a lazy pace behind her while Asmodeus brings up the rear, still complaining, dragging his bags as if they weigh too much for him.. 

Feeling suddenly a strange uncomfortable sensation, Leviathan glances over at Mammon. A look of surprise takes over his features as he removes his headphones. “Are you crying?!” he whispers at Mammon, glancing around. 

Mammon startles and wipes away his tears quickly. “No!” Mammon says a bit too loudly. Lucky for him, everyone chooses to pretend they don’t hear him. 

Leviathan looks around making sure none of the others are listening in. Blushing, he moves closer to Mammon. “You’re uh...not feeling strange?” he asks.

“Huh? Whaddya mean?” Mammon whispers back, but not as quietly as Leviathan would have liked as he glances around again. 

“IDK!” Leviathan hisses hushed. “Like..empty...more than usual…” 

Mammon looks startled, he doesn’t know how Leviathan knows that he’s been feeling like an abyss has opened up in his chest. Like he didn’t have a grimm to his name or a place to call home. “Yeah...except it ain’t feels like me.” Mammon says, confused. Leviathan glances ahead of them at Lily and Mammon follows his gaze. 

“Ya think it’s the pact?!” Mammon asks while the wheels in his head finally start turning. 

Leviathan shrugs. “If we’re both feeling the same things…”

“Dammit.” he curses. “Is that normal?” he asks, the pacts he had in the past are rusty in his long memory but he can’t recall ever feeling anything from his pact holders except their avarice.

Leviathan shrugs. “I don’t get it….she looks..happy.” he says as they watch her. 

Lily’s face is profile to them as she looks around, there’s a small smile on her face, even if her eyes look far away. Her steps are buoyant and nothing in her body language betrays the sting of loneliness that reverberates through their pact. 

Mammon grunts. “Gotta be kiddin’ me. Such a pain.” he growls in frustration rubbing the palm of his hand on his chest as if he tries to make the sensation leave him that way. 

Leviathan rolls his eyes, not as bothered by it. In fact, it makes him feel a closer kinship with his newly acquired ally. 

  
  


Lord Diavolo is there with the others when they reach the courtyard. Lily sees him laughing jovially at something Simeon has said, yet the others don’t look as amused. She’s wary of the Prince but she enjoys his smile and laughter. It’s a far cry from the grumpy faces of the demons she lives with. Even Beezebub’s smile has disappeared. He must be getting hungry again, she’s learned that much about him. 

“Ah! You’ve finally arrived. Excellent.” Diavolo says, clapping his hands. “We’re only gone for one night so let’s make the most of it. Barbatos, tell them the sleeping arrangement.” 

“Sleeping arrangement?” Satan inquires. 

“Yes, it will be more fun to share and get to know each other better, don’t you think?” Lord Diavolo says with a laugh. 

There are groans and grimaces but no one dares contradict him. Mainly because Lucifer is at the end of his patience already. Lily only feels nervous to share a tent with males, sure she shares a room with Beelzebub right now but he sleeps in the loft, a tent is much cozier. 

*ahem* Barbatos clears his throat. “Simeon, Asmodeus and Satan will share a tent. Mammon, Solomon and Leviathan in another. Lily, Luke and Beelzebub in the third, which leaves Lucifer, my Lord and myself in the last tent.” Barbatos announces. 

No one seems to mind their sleeping arrangements much, except for Mammon who always seems to have to make a complaint of some sort.

“Oi! Why isn’t Lily sleepin’ in my tent?! That’s my human, I gotta protect her, don’t I?! I don’t want her smellin’ like chihuahua!” he fusses. 

“HEY!” Leviathan glares. “She’s not YOURS. I have a pact with her too.”

“Shaddup!” Mammon tells Levi. “We’ll trade ya Solomon for Lily.” Mammon tells Luke and Beelzebub. 

Luke, despite being afraid of sharing a tent with the behemoth that is Beelzebub, steps in front of Lily bravely. “NO WAY! I’m not letting her stay with you two! Who knows what you’d try to pull!” Luke looks to Lily with a determined face. “Don’t worry Lily, I’ll protect you...even from B-Beelzebub if I have to!” 

Lily thanks Luke with a sweet smile. She doesn’t have the heart to tell him that she’s already been sharing a room with Beelzebub and so far he hasn’t tried to eat her when he wakes up for a midnight snack. Luke beams back at her proudly. Simeon quietly laughs, as he watches his protege.

“Oi! What did ya just say, Chihuahua!” Mammon shouts and Luke glares back, standing his ground. 

“Don’t call me Chihuahua!”

Lord Diavolo is frowning while Barbatos looks on as if resigned to the circus around him. Solomon is the only one looking amused. But then Lucifer interjects. “Enough! It’s not up for debate. It’s decided and I’ll hear nothing more of it.”

Mammon begins to open his mouth and Lucifer interrupts him. “What were you about to say Mammon? That’d you’d like to spend the night hanging from the trees??” Mammon’s mouth snaps shut, when he hears the threat and he kicks at the dirt in frustration. 

Lord Diavolo laughs once again now that everything is settled. With a simple wide arch of his hand in the air the ground seems to shift under Lily’s feet and her vision goes blurry for a second and when she blinks and opens her eyes again she’s standing in the middle of what she guesses is the primeval forest. It takes her a moment to realize that Mammon has his hand around her arm, which kept her from falling. She smiles at him, which causes him to blush and release her with a grumble. No one else is affected by the sudden change in location, as if they were all expecting it, but she is completely amazed. Not only did she just teleport locations but it seemed as if the Prince was able to move the whole group with a simple wave of his hand. She’d only had glimpses so far of these demons true selves and she wonders about the powers they possess. It's both awesome, humbling and terrifying if she allows herself to think about it too long. 

Lord Diavolo laughs as Lily takes a wobbly step. “Oh! I apologize Lily. I should have warned you first.” he says but he doesn’t seem to be sorry at all, only amused at her expense. 

A loud rumbling of Beelzebub’s stomach catches everyone’s attention. “I’m hungry...What’s for dinner?” he adds, his hand clutching the fabric of his shirt above his stomach. “I hope Barbatos prepared something.” he says hopefully as a bit of drool escapes the corner of his mouth. 

“I’m afraid not, Beelzebub.” Barbatos tells him with a straight face. Beel looks to be crestfallen at the news. “What are we eating then?” he asks, almost sounding panicked. 

Lord Diavolo rubs his hands together. “We’re hunting, of course.”

Lily’s ears perk up at that. Hunting and camping are two things that she knows. “Where are your weapons?” she asks, looking around and seeing none of the gear she would be familiar with. 

Some of them begin snickering. “We’re powerful demons, Lily. You don’t imagine we need weapons, do you?” Satan says derisively. 

“They’re barbaric brutes.” Luke adds in a loud whisper to Lily. 

Lord Diavolo, however, is intrigued. “What do you know about hunting in the human world?” he asks her, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. 

Lily shyly looks around at everyone. Now that Lord Diavolo has addressed her, she has everyone’s attention and she moves uncomfortably as she shifts the weight of the backpack on her shoulder. “Well...I lived in the woods most of my life. I hunted with my father since I was ten.” she tells them, confident and shy at the same time. 

“Is that so?!” Diavolo says, looking a bit shocked. Lily is an especially small and fragile looking human, the idea of this little mortal hunting amuses him greatly. He wants to know more. “And what sort of weapons did you use?”

Lily looked around at everyone again.  _ They all look amused at my expense _ . Lily thinks to herself, and starts to get annoyed by it. Except for the angels who just look concerned. Lily raises her chin, refusing to be cowed by these demons. “My father preferred his rifle but I was proficient with the bow.” she replies confidently. 

“A bow? Really?” Lord Diavolo chuckles. “I thought humans are much more advanced these days?” The other demons start snickering as well as they hear their Prince making fun of that human. Lucifer and Barbatos seem to be less amused. (Making fun of humans if you want to make friends with them isn’t very smart)

“Trust me, bows have come a long way. Many hunters enjoy the feel of a bow. It’s not about what is most efficient or advanced.” she says in defence of her weapon of choice.  _ Besides, I’m not hunting like an animal with my teeth and claws, unlike some here. _ But she keeps that thought for herself.

“Hmm.” Lord Diavolo picks up one of the sticks the forest floor is littered with and, with a twist of his wrist, the branch is transformed into a golden bow that he hands to Lily. She marvels over the magic and the prettiness of the bow. When she looks up, Diavolo has also produced an arrow. “Well, show us.” he encourages her. 

“Diavolo..” Lucifer begins to protest but Diavolo quickly hushes him. 

Lily tests the weight of the bow and the draw. It’s very pretty, very old fashioned from an age past, but it’s wrong. She can’t do anything with this bow. 

“I can’t.” she says and there’s immediately a chorus of snickering going on behind her. Mostly from Asmodeus and Satan, she suspects. “I can’t.” she adds with more force. “Because this bow is meant for a child. It’s an expensive toy” she says, handing it back to Lord Diavolo. Behind her, Mammon whimpers, no doubt coveting the golden bow for himself. “I need a proper bow made from practical, durable material, with a 45lb draw.” she says and gives him the height and draw length as well. Diavolo is most amused as he takes in her requirements and produces a new bow. Mammon sighs in disappointment when the golden bow disappears. 

Lily handles the new bow, it’s still impractically ornate but the feel of it in her hands is much better. She’s not sure what it is made of but it feels sturdy and flexible. They all watch her as she tests the weight and draw of the bow. 

“This will work.” she nods and looks around for an appropriate target. 

Diavolo nods to Barbatos who in short order has summoned a couple of targets for her. Lily sighs as they place the first target only a mere meter away. Barely making any effort, she easily pins the center of the target with the arrow.

“Further.” she says. Diavolo smiles and has the target floating through the air further away. As he begins to set it down at ten meters, Lily looks him directly in the eye. “Further.” she insists. 

Diavolo sets the target down at twenty meters and produces another arrow for Lily. Lily takes aim and once again hits the target square in the center. 

“Further.” she says without looking at him this time and holds her hand out for another arrow. Instead of an arrow, a strap falls into her hand, the weight surprising her. Looking down, she sees that Lord Diavolo has provided a handsome quiver filled with arrows. She smiles at him and accepts, slinging the strap over her shoulder.

Behind her Lucifer looks ready to launch into a lecture on the proper etiquette for mere humans to address the Crown Prince of the Devildom but Diavolo, knowing his old friend, quickly hushes him. 

When Lily lands not one but three perfect shots at forty-five meters, Lord Diavolo laughs and claps heartily. The rest of the group is quiet. Speechless. They didn’t imagine the frail looking girl before them could pull back the bow string, let alone hit the target with such consistent accuracy. 

“So when do we go hunting?” Lily asks them, feeling as though she has proved herself to these demons. Those words end up launching most of the group into a frenzy of laughing and shouting. 

“WHAT?! Are ya dumb or somethin’?!” Mammon is shouting louder than everyone else. “It’s too dangerous and I don’t feel like watchin’ over ya out there!”

Asmo is filing his nails, sighing with boredom. “Better her than me.” he smirks wickedly. 

“Absolutely not.” Lucifer says. 

“Why not?” Satan asks snickering, just to play the devil's advocate. “Could be amusing.” 

Beel had already disappeared before the first arrow had been shot, having no patience to wait for the whole group to go hunting. 

Leviathan agrees with Mammon that it’s too dangerous for Lily to hunt and even the angel’s are agreeing that they cannot risk a human life on a hunt in the Devildom. Only Solomon is silent on the matter. Looking on with an indecipherable interest. 

Diavolo looks torn, he would love to see this tiny human hunt but he caves to Lucifer’s wisdom. He cannot jeopardize the exchange program after all. “Lucifer is right. It’s too dangerous for you Lily, you have no way to protect yourself and we will be too distracted by the hunt to keep a good eye on you.” he announces, making it final. Lily is crestfallen and angry. But refuses to show it.

“Fine.” she says without emotion as she tries to hand the bow and quiver back to Lord Diavolo. 

He gently shakes his head, refusing to take them from her. “They are yours now, you’ve won them.” he says with a smile.

Lily huffs, “Thank you.” she says simply before making her way to a tent.  _ Barbatos must have taken the time to magically set up camp, while I was shooting at targets for the fruitless amusement of those demons _ , she thinks to herself. 

Mammon and Levi watch Lily disappear inside one of the tents, her disappointment leaving a bitter taste in their mouths. 

“Well have fun.” Asmo says to the rest of the group as he tries to make off towards his own tent.

“Not so fast.” Lucifer says, halting Asmodeus in his tracks. “We’re all going.”

“We can’t all go!” Mammon argues. “I gotta stay and look after my human!” 

“Why does it have to be you?” Levi snorts. “I don’t want to hunt, I’ll stay and look after Lily, I’m in a pact with her too.” 

Mammon glares at Levi. “ ‘Cause I said so! I’m older than you and I was her first!” he tells him as it is. 

Asmodeus snorts derisively. “That girl hasn’t had any firsts.” he says and Satan snickers along with him.

“You’re all coming. Don’t argue with me.” Lucifer tells them all with a glare. 

“Simeon and I can look after Lily.” Luke says, having no intention of joining these demons in their barbarism. 

Simeon laughs merrily. “Oh no Luke, we have to go on the hunt too.” he tells the younger angel.

“WHA?!” Luke looks at Simeon in shock. 

“It’s a good opportunity for you to gain broader perspectives.” Simeon tells him before he can finish. Luke is so flabbergasted he can’t manage another word. 

“I’ll stay behind.” Solomon offers. “I’ve been on enough hunts after all.” he says with a small smile. 

“Then it’s settled!” Lord Diavolo announces. 

“Ya can’t be serious!” Mammon is shouting again. “Ya can’t seriously leave her alone with this shady wizard in the middle of the primeval forest!”

“It’s decided.” Lucifer supports Diavolo’s decision and that’s that. His brothers fall in line. 

Mammon turns on Solomon. “Don’t let her out of your sight...but don’t ya touch her! Don’t even get any closer than ya need either!” He says in the most threatening manner he can muster but Solomon only looks amused as he agrees to Mammon’s terms. 

Leviathan doesn’t like the situation any more than Mammon, but he knows when to keep his mouth shut, most of the time anyway. “I’m going to the lake.” he announces and takes off before anyone can stop him. No one even tries though. He is the best candidate to catch the sort of fish that live in the lake after all.

“Let’s go then.” Lucifer says with a sigh. 

“Ugh! I just got a manicure too.” Asmodeus laments. “Wait for me to change then.” he insists, ducking into his tent before anyone can make more protests. Lucifer looks ready to explode, this trip testing the limits of his patience already. 

“Tadaa!” Asmodeus announces with a flourish as he exits the tent gracefully. He stands before them dressed in the latest hunting fashions. Except he’s dressed for the sort of hunting that demon nobility do from the back of their preferred steed, kelpie’s, wyrms or griffins typically. Where they use magic or their powers to take down their prey instead of teeth and claw, an elegant sort of sport and not the sort they will be doing in the woods today. 

Asmodeus colors with indignation and begins shouting at them about the finer points of hunting fashion as his brothers begin laughing at him. Only Lucifer is unamused. “Let’s be off then.”


	20. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone goes hunting, some are more successful than others...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mild descriptions of the hunts. Blood, guts and gore. You have been warned if you have a weak stomach for such things.
> 
> Another HUGE thank you to Cluelesse who helped me tremendously with making this chapter come alive.

Lily picks the far side of the tent, furthest from the door flap, to unroll her sleeping bag. Laying on her back she fumes over the idea that she’s been left behind with a babysitter and not only that, her sitter is her fellow human exchange student. 

_Luke looks like a child and they allowed him to go. I may not be a supernatural being or a powerful sorcerer but I am a capable adult._ _I proved that._ She thinks to herself. _I’d be surprised if they catch anything with how loud some of them are._ She continues to fume to herself imagining Mammon crashing through the forest and Asmo crying loudly over a broken nail. Despite her bad mood, she finds herself laughing quietly at the thought.

The zipper on her tent door being pulled open, catches her attention as Solomon pokes his head through. A lazy smile sits on his face and his eyes sparkle with mischief. “May I join you?” He asks. 

Lily sits up and shrugs. “If you want.” she tells him as he let’s himself in and sits across from her. They regard each other silently as Lily waits for him to break the silence. 

“I grew bored, waiting to see if you were the sort of person who followed orders, or not.” he tells her, causing a crease to form in her forehead. 

Lily blinks and tries to discern Solomon’s intentions. She only sees him in class and so far he’s always been cordial yet distant. “You think I am naive enough, to head out into a dark demon infested forest, to hunt on my own?” she finally asks him. 

“Ahahah!” Solomon laughs and sighs merrily. “That would be foolish, yes.” he admits. Then he leans in conspiratorially and whispers. “But consider this,” he smirks. “What if you could see in the dark? What if you had an experienced guide with you?”

_ It sounds too good to be true. _ Is what Lily thinks. “Well if that were true then I’d already be out there hunting.” she tells him.  _ I’d show those demon’s a thing or two.  _ She adds silently to herself. 

Solomon smiles broadly. “I thought so.” he replies as he takes a wand out of his coat. 

Lily’s eyes widen at the sight of the wand. It’s simple and slight, not much bigger than a chopstick and looks to be made of a dark colored wood. “Whoa. What are you going to do with that, Harry Potter?!” she asks, leaning away from him slightly. 

“Pffft!” Solomon launches into another fit of laughter. “You’re quite humorous Lily.” he says, as he calms himself again quickly. 

Lily is still eyeing him and his wand suspiciously. “No need to look so worried.” he tells her. “I’ll cast a simple, temporary spell on your eyes. You’ll see as well as any nocturnal animal.” he explains, as if that is completely ordinary. 

Lily is hesitant. Sure it sounds awesome in theory. It’s one thing to be surrounded by magic. It’s another thing to have it performed on you, though. He’s supposed to be very powerful but Lily doesn’t know this first hand. What if he screws up?

“Come on Lily. I thought you were brave?” Solomon goads her. Those were the right words to use because Lily immediately caves and allows him to perform the spell on her. 

After a simple wrist flick with his wand and a latin incantation, the deed is done. Lily blinks as her vision blurs before clearing. “Nothing looks different.” she tells him.

“That’s because we’re in the tent where you have your lantern on.” he says and nods for her to follow as he unzips her tent again and goes outside. 

Lily follows him. The forest should be pitch black at this hour, yet she can see everything clearly as if it’s daytime in the human realm. “Wow.” she breathes out. 

“Well come on then.” Solomon says as he heads down a different path from what the others took earlier. Lily is quick to grab her new bow and quiver and follows after him on nimble quiet feet. 

  
  


Having barely reached the edge of camp, Lily spots a figure looming in the shadows ahead. “Who’s there?” she asks, clasping her free hand in Solomons without thinking about it. She normally isn’t startled so quickly. But this IS the primeval forest of the Devildom. And having Solomon with her, makes her feel safer. 

Solomon understands and gives Lily’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Show yourself, be you friend or foe?” he calls out. 

A cackling response reaches their ears, as the figure steps out from the trees. “Karasu!” Lily admonishes the demon, letting out the breath she’s been holding in. 

“Hmm. Just a nosy birdie, I see.” Solomon says, crossing his arms. “Did your master send you, Karasu?

“Hey Lily. What’re ya doing out here with this guy?” Karasu asks, ignoring Solomon’s question, but gesturing with a jerky thumb towards him.

Despite the corvid’s obnoxious ways, Lily was actually happy to see her feathered friend. “We’re going hunting, Karasu. So be quiet and join us, or fly away.” she tells him in a hushed tone. 

Karasu laughs. “Always full of surprises aren’t you?” he circles, and inspects her quiver.

“You’re not going to tell on us, right?” Lily asks with large pleading eyes.

“Hmm. Now would old Karasu do a thing like that?” He says, his beady eyes gleaming with mischief. He pulls out one of the broadhead arrows from the quiver and whistles.. “Ooo his Majesty spared no expense on these babies. You could take down a wyvern with a well placed shot!”

Solomon is quick to snatch the arrow away and places it back in Lily’s quiver. “Don’t give her any ideas. We’re hunting Al-Mi'raj and maybe a Peryton if we’re lucky.” he tells Karasu. “You best stay out of Lily’s range, before she mistakes you for game.” 

“Hmph.” ” Karasu snorts before transforming into his crow form and flying silently into the treetops. “Should be amusing.” Lily can just hear him caw, but quickly loses track of him. She can still sense his keen eyes on them. 

“What are Al-Mi'raj and Peryton’s?” Lily asks after a beat of silence has passed between them. 

Solomon does better than explain to Lily though.  _ He looks like he’s drawing.  _ Lily thinks to herself as she watches Solomon take out his wand, this time it is tipped with a bead of light that leaves behind streaks in the air as he moves his wrist. A small gasp of awe escapes her as those lines of light gather and form shapes. 

“The Al-Mi'raj.” he tells her, as the creature made of magical lines hops across the air before them.  _ Looks like a rabbit. I’ve hunted rabbits before.  _ She thinks to herself, until the magical image of the rabbit spreads its wings and flies over their heads. “Very similar to a human world rabbit.” Solomon continues. Seeing her looking curious and amazed, he smiles. “Except for the horns, wings and of course the wicked sharp teeth. Mostly harmless unless you come across a pack of them.”

“What do you mean?”

He doesn’t answer her. Again Solomon draws with his wand through the air. The next creature is somewhere between the size of a whitetail deer and a wolf. Most of the body is very deer-like, except the tail. Which is long like the tail of a wolf and again, the creature has wings. “Hmm. Pretty.” Lily murmurs with a smile, as the image vanishes. 

Solomon chuckles quietly. “We’ll see if you think the same if we’re lucky enough to find one tonight.” he smiles mysteriously. Lily wonders about this but chooses not to ask anything. He’s not going to answer anyway. She’s figured that much out from Solomon. 

  
  


**_Meanwhile in the Southern Woods..._ **

Beel had quickly scented a family of shadow hog. In his haste he hadn’t been quiet and alerted them to his approach. They led him on a merry chase through the woods but in the end he caught them all. Mother, Father, all the way down to the runt of the litter. He ate the first one raw, he was so hungry he couldn’t possibly wait. He tried to carry the rest of his catch back to camp as he pulled the coarse hair from the shadow hog out from his teeth. 

The one hog didn’t sate his hunger for long though. Now he is calculating how long it will take to get back to camp. If he runs he will only get hungrier. It’s best if he eats another now and leaves the piglets for the rest of the group. Beelzebub wishes for a pot and spices to whip up some shadow swine offal but he’ll have to do with what he has. 

  
  


**_In the Western Woods..._ **

Solomon has led Lily to a small clearing nearby a small meandering creek. Large enough to water the wildlife but not large nor deep enough for wilder more dangerous spirits or creatures to dwell. Crouched behind a small thicket Solomon and Lily watch the Al-Mi'raj frolic.  _ They’re so cute and unique. _ Lily thinks to herself, feeling it a shame to kill any of them just to prove a point to some stupid demons. 

But then some other larger animal comes lumbering into the clearing. A chorus of chattering noises rises up, warning the animal. It tries to flee but it is far too late. Baring their fangs, the pack of little Al-Mi'raj that Lily had thought of as cute, attacks the beast, devouring it in seconds. Lily gulps and looks at Solomon with her big eyes. He grins at her, then gives her an encouraging nod. Standing ready himself with his wand. She knocks her first arrow. 

With the pack of Al-Mi'raj distracted with their feast, Lily is able to quietly maneuver into a good shooting position. She takes out two of them before the others notice and take flight. With her cover blown, Solomon grabs her wrist and pulls her behind the copse of trees. Lily manages to take down two more as they search them out. She misses the third one however, which dives at her, bunny claws and fangs bared. Lily lifts her arm and bow to protect her face from the incoming assault. 

Solomon has used his magic to break the necks of the two that attacked him. When he looks to Lily, he sees that one of the little beasts has attached itself onto her arm. Before he has a chance to help her, he watches as she uses the broadhead from the arrow in her hand to stab the creature's neck. Solomon’s eyes widen as blood sprays all over Lily’s face when she pulls the arrow out again. Lily is inspecting her arm when Solomon approaches her with a handkerchief he’s produced from a pocket. He tries to dab at the blood on her face when she realizes what he’s doing. Lily smiles shyly at Solomon in gratitude, as she takes the linen and wipes her own face while he takes over looking at the bite on her forearm. 

“Lucky you wear such a big ugly coat.” Solomon laughs after seeing that the bite is superficial. “I’d say you were the winner of that tussle.”

Lily can’t help but to laugh a bit too. She certainly had never been attacked on a hunt before. By bunnies, no less. She could put that in the book of firsts. Karasu decides to make an appearance again, still as a bird he squawks at them, ruffling his feathers, picking at the eyes of the Al-Miraj that lays at her feet and gobbling it up. “Some help you are.” Lily mutters, eyeing the bird. 

Solomon produces another item from his pockets and Lily wonders if this is a sorcerer thing. He offers her a bag. She can only assume that he means for her to put their catch inside, but the bag is much too small for all seven. 

“If you have a string in one of those pockets..” Lily begins to say but Solomon smiles, eyes twinkling. 

Lily watches as he picks up one of the Al-Mi'raj and drops it into the sack. Eventually he’s put all of them inside yet the bag only looks like it’s holding one of them. 

Lily takes the sack when he offers it to her, expecting the weight of all seven Al-Mi'raj yet the bag barely feels like it weighs five pounds. 

“That’s amazing.” She smiles brightly at Solomon, who bows courteously for her with a smirk. Karasu suddenly flies in between them with an angry cry, causing Solomon to stumble a step back while Lily wonders what is up with Karasu all of a sudden. She shoos him away. Solomon looks after the demon-bird with a knowing grin.  _ Everyone is weird. _ Lily decides.

“Alright. Let’s look for the Peryton.” Lily says with determination as they head deeper into the western woods.

  
  


**_Meanwhile at the Lake…._ **

All alone without a soul in sight, Leviathan strips down to his Ruri-Chan boxer briefs and floats on the surface of the lake. He knows his brothers expect him to bring back fish to eat but he couldn’t possibly. The creatures that live in this lake are better company than his sorry excuses for brothers. Fish are excellent listeners after all. 

“....so you see, I don’t have a chance with her and I should just continue to be happy with two dimensionals...honestly I can’t believe I even turned my eyes away from my beloved Ruri-Chan! Do you think she can forgive me..?......you do?” he smiles. “That’s good. I need to cleanse her from my system but it's next to impossible because of the pact!” he growls in frustration, vibrating the water causing the aquatic creatures to retreat. It will take some time before they gather around him again. 

Something cold slides onto Levi’s stomach out from the water. Levi smiles delighted at the snake that is coiling himself on his stomach to absorb Levi’s body heat. “You remind me of Henry 1.0!” he tells him before launching into another story.

  
  


**_In the North Eastern Woods..._ **

Lucifer and Diavolo stalk a Peryton through the woods with Barbatos close at hand. The others trudge behind them, while breaking twigs and having conversations and complaints, and Lucifer is becoming more and more annoyed with how loudly they tread through the forest. They could take the hunt a little more seriously, if they want to eat something today.

“I’ve heard a Bögge lives in this part of the forest.” Satan says casually to Mammon as they walk several paces behind Lucifer and Lord Diavolo. __

“Wh-What?!” Mammon stutters.”I th-thought they were all wiped out…”

“There have been rumors of even the strongest demons going mad when they encounter the Bögge, which becomes the very thing they fear the most when they look at it.” Satan grins evilly, seeing Mammon glancing around nervously. 

No one is paying attention to Asmodeus who is still bringing up the rear of their rag tag group of demons and angels. Simeon and Luke are arguing in hushed whispers when the wind peaks up and makes a mournful noise through the trees. 

“Aiiieeeeeeeeeee! The Bögge!” Mammon screams, practically jumping onto Lucifer’s back. Satan burst out in loud laughing. That went even better than expected!

“MAMOOOOOOON!” Lucifer’s voice echoes through the woods. He can do nothing else but watch the Peryton take flight to the western woods, as he shakes his brother from himself. 

Somewhere in the Western Woods two humans pause when they think they hear a voice on the wind. 

Lord Diavolo is shaking his head with a disappointed sigh, when he realizes they’ve lost their prey with the distraction. He considers that maybe the hunt with this group wasn’t his best idea but refuses to admit to it, especially with Lucifer and Barabatos here. 

“Don’t leave me behind!” Asmodeus cries piteously as he struggles to keep up with the group as they move further north to look for new prey. Between Asmodeus and Mammon’s noise - and Lucifer's roar of anger, but who wants to tell him that right now? - any prey that might have been in the area has long since fled. 

“If you imbeciles don’t shut your mouth, we won’t be eating tonight!” Lucifer rounds on his brothers, his patience finally up. Satan is hiding his snickering poorly behind his hand. Luke is rolling his eyes at him. It’s not like Lucifer is innocent in scaring away the animals.

“Lucifer, you’re so cruel!” Asmodeus cries as he sits down on a rotten log to take off one of his boots. “Ahh! My poor beautiful feet!” he gasps in shock as he sees several red angry blisters. 

“Those shoes are meant for riding, not walking you know.” Satan says unhelpfully, with a wicked grin. He is most likely the only one of the group who is having a good time. This is the best hunt he has been on in centuries.

Asmo shoots his brother a glare. “I know THAT! I didn’t expect to be forced to walk for miles and miles!” he takes off his other boot and discards them in the forest with a distasteful grunt. Transforming he uses his wings to keep himself several inches off the ground. 

Simeon smiles at Asmodeus. “I’d use my celestial magic to heal you but unfortunately it doesn’t work on demons.” 

“Well, thanks for nothing then.” Asmodeus snaps at him now. Simeon doesn’t even blink, but just gives him a serene smile

“We’re wasting time.” Lucifer says. His voice is becoming low and threatening and most of them shudder by the sound of it.

“Right. Let’s continue.” Diavolo agrees. He doesn’t want to see his second in command explode in front of the angelic exchange students. And so they continue to move deeper into the forest.

  
  


Eventually the group comes across a meadow where a large pack of Al-Mi'raj is resting after engorging themselves on their latest kill. “Ah. There’s enough of them here to feed everyone.” Diavolo says, sounding pleased. This hunt wasn’t going to be a complete failure after all. 

When Simeon and Luke approach close enough to see what the Demon’s are hunting, Luke’s face colors with indignation. “They’re so cute and fluffy! We’re not killing them!” He looks at Simeon. “You’re not going to let them murder those cute little bunnies are you?!” 

“Oi! Shut up before ya scare em’ all off!” Mammon whispers but still manages to be louder than Luke was in the first place. 

“You should hear the sounds they make right before you squeeze their heads off.” Satan says to Luke with another cruel, amused smile. 

“WHAT?! That’s absolutely terrible! You...You. Demon!” Luke’s small angry voice carries across the meadow. Soon the Al-Mi'raj are rousing from their nap. The demons move to catch their prey but Luke is sprinting in front of them trying to scatter the rabbits. 

In an angry swarm the Al-Mi'raj fly up and look down. Seeing the small angel as their attacker, they attack in mass. Lucifer is planning on stunning all of them when they swoop down on Luke but before he can, a blinding light fills the meadow from above. 

When the Demons are able to open their eyes again, ashes are falling around them like snow. Luke has collapsed in a heap, shaking in fright. Simeon kneels besides him, comforting him, but laughing at the demons nervously, as he rubs his neck. 

“What did you do?!” Lucifer accuses the angel. 

“I may have gotten a tad overzealous.” the angel admits. 

“I shall remind you again, Simeon, that you and Luke are not allowed to use your Celestial Powers while in the Devildom.” Barbatos says with a dry tone. 

“Unless our lives are at stake.” Simeon counters with his serene smile.

Lucifer has to suppress an eye roll as he pinches his nose. “Luke’s life was hardly in peril.”

“They… They attacked me!” Luke cries out, still shaking. “I was trying to help them and they ATTACKED me! Everything is evil here!”

“Oi! Ya incinerated our dinner!” Mammon complains, ignoring Luke’s statements. He’s heard them countless times already. “Now what are we gonna do?!”

“It’s late and we’re a long way from camp.” Lucifer sighs. “Let’s head back and hopefully we’ll find something along the way back. If you can manage to be quiet.” he adds with a glare.

“Huh?! Why’re ya’ll lookin’ at me?!” Mammon grouses. 

Asmodues is sulking silently, he keeps having to bend over to scratch his legs that have begun to itch. 

  
  
  


**_Back in the Western Woods…_ **

Meanwhile, Solomon and Lily had come across a large watering hole and Solomon believed it would be a good spot to wait and see if anything worth eating comes along. Luck must have been on their side because they had not waited long when a stag Peryton walks up to the watering hole. 

Once Lily beheld the Peryton, Solomon’s earlier words now made sense. It wasn’t pretty like the light show would have you think. It’s coat is patchy, resembling a stray dog she had seen once, with mange. The long hairs in its tail look greasy and it’s eyes shine with a devilish red glow. She wouldn’t feel bad at all for putting this beast down and out of its misery. 

Solomon stays back as Lily maneuvers into a better shooting spot, careful to keep downwind of the beast. Her heart hammers in her chest as she pulls back the bow string and takes aim. The broadhead slices through the air swiftly as she releases and it hits the Peryton critically. Failing to take flight, the animal quickly succumbs to its fate and Lily is relieved that it dies quickly. 

“The meat is good?” Lily asks, sounding unsure as she looks at the mangy beast when Solomon approaches. 

“As good as anything, I suppose.” Solomon answers with a chuckle. “Nice shot.”

Karasu swoops down and perches on Lily’s shoulder and picks at her ear. “Hey, knock that off.” Lily tells him, swatting at him, but her voice is light and mirthful. 

“Do you have a knife?” Lily asks Solomon. “We can quarter the beast and put it in that nifty sack of yours.”

“I wouldn’t advise it.” Solomon tells her with a frown. “It’s late. We need to get back and if you start gutting that thing here, you’ll bring all manner of nasty things after us.”

“Good point. This isn’t exactly the human world woods, after all.” Lily nods, she didn’t really have to worry about that back home but she knows that it makes sense now. “Alright then.” she says as she gives Solomon the sack full of Al-Mi'raj and shoos Karasu off her shoulder. Once Lily has slung the Peryton over her shoulders, a firm grasp on a fore and hind leg, Karasu settles back once more on top of the Peryton.

“I could lighten your load?” Solomon offers, as he begins to pull out his wand. 

Lily shakes her head stubbornly. “I’ve packed out deer larger than this before.” she tells him. Honestly she wouldn’t mind the help but she has something to prove to those stupid demons. Stubbornly she steps forward, leading the way they came from. The wings of the Peryton drag behind her over the forest floor. Solomon gives her an impressed look as they forge ahead back to camp. 

Somewhere along the way Karasu makes some indignant noises before he flies off. Lily could have sworn he cawed some curse words.

  
  


**_Back in the North Eastern Woods…._ **

“Where’s Mammon?” Lucifer asks, looking around after realizing the group has been much, much too quiet for far too long. Everyone else looks around too, not having noticed when Mammon had left the group.

“He probably snuck off back to camp.” Satan says, rolling his eyes. 

“That's so not fair!” Asmo chimes in, making a startling good imitation of Levi’s signature complaint. 

“Let’s continue back to camp. He’s probably there.” Lord Diavolo says but Lucifer looks unconvinced. Just as they are all about to keep on their way Karasu swoops down.

“Ugh! It’s Mammon’s nasty bird!” Asmo glares, covering his hair protectively. It’s the only thing of his appearance left that isn’t in a total state of destruction after all. 

Karasu makes a lot of noise as he swoops and dives around them. “Maybe he knows where Mammon is?” Simeon suggests.

Lucifer sighs, he knows it's no coincidence that this annoying corvid shows up right after they notice Mammon is missing. He wonders what sort of trouble his idiot brother has gotten himself into this time. And if whatever it is doesn’t kill him first, then this time he just might. 

  
  


**_Closer to camp…_ **

“Well this is where I’ll leave you.” Solomon tells Lily, attaching the sack with Al-Mi’raj to her belt. They had been making small talk until Lily became more focused on her footing and keeping the Peryton on her shoulders than speaking. 

“What?” Lily blinks at Solomon, she thinks she must have heard him wrong. 

Solomon chuckles. “Just stay on this path for another mile and you’ll reach camp.” Then without any explanation he summons a circle that transports him away, back to camp, Lily assumes. 

_ Ugh. Why is everyone here so damn weird and mysterious. _ Lily thinks grumpily. She has no choice to keep putting one foot in front of the other until she reaches camp. She isn’t alone though as Karasu returns with a noisy cawing as he alights on the Peryton. 

“Where have you been?” Lily asks but receives no reply other than the ruffling of feathers.

  
  


**_Back at the campsite…_ **

Solomon has returned just in time. He sits in front of the campfire that he quickly conjured in preparation of the feast that Lily will bring in soon. He pokes at the logs with a long stick, adopting a posture of boredom as he waits for the rest of the group to arrive.

It takes the sorcerer great concentration to keep the smirk of amusement off his face when Mammon is the first to storm into camp looking as if he had been the hunted instead of the hunter. 

The rest follows in soon after. Lucifer looks as if he may murder someone soon and even Lord Diavolo looks glum. Only Barbatos looks the same as ever. 

Asmodeus comes into camp crying and scratching his skin all over. He crawls into his tent and Solomon rolls his eyes. He makes a mental note to make an ointment later for his old friend. He knew they shouldn’t have taken poor Asmodeus with them.

Beelzebub enters camp from the opposite direction looking as if he’s wrestled with a family of shadow hogs in the mud and it’s not far from the truth. 

Lucifer frowns when he spots Beelzebub entering camp. It’s no surprise that the Avatar of Gluttony returns empty handed having also had his fill. The evidence of blood, hair and scraps of innards all over his face, hands and clothing, are all the evidence anyone needs. Beelzebub catches his brother’s cold glare and looks at the ground guiltily. 

“I was hungry.” He mutters his explanation, barely audible.

Leviathan saunters in last, from the east with his hands in his pockets and a snake curled around one arm and around his neck. Mammon is on to his younger brother instantly. “Oi! Levi! Where’s our fish?! I’m starvin’ here!” 

“I’d sooner eat you than any of the wonderful inhabitants of the lake!” Leviathan says with a glare, clutching the snake that's wrapped around his arm a bit closer to his chest. 

“What have you got there Levi?” Beel asks, suddenly forgetting his guilt, looking interested at the long snake coiled around his brother. “Is it something we can roast?!”

“AHH! Stay back Beel!” Levi shouts angrily, warding his brother off with a hand. “I’m sorry, I should have never brought you back to this bunch of vandals, Henry 3.0. Even if you really look like the original Henry.” he sadly apologizes to the snake before releasing it back into the wilds, making sure that Beel doesn’t go after it.

“Ugh, you’re useless!” Mammon complains. 

“Like you’re any better.” Satan scoffs. But he still had the time of his life in the forest today.

“Oi! What did you say?” Mammon growls. 

The angels silently observe. Simeon looks amused and Luke looks close to blowing up and scolding them all. 

“Oi! Solomon!” Mammon shouts across the campsite. “Where’s my human?” He just noticed Lily isn’t around to greet him.

“In her tent, I’d imagine.” Solomon replies casually with a shrug, still poking at the fire with his stick. “I haven’t seen her at all. She seems to be good at sulking for not being allowed to hunt.”

Mammon storms over to the tent that Lily shares with Luke and Beelzebub. Luke tries to stop him. What if she’s just changing clothes?! But he is being ignored by Mammon, who unzips the tent. If he’s lucky, his human packed some snacks and he’d better get her to share them with him, before Beel gets his hands on them. Then Mammon realizes it’s empty. 

“Lily?!” Mammon pulls his head from the tent and begins racing around the campsite looking for her. Looking in every tent and tossing out bags, as if he thinks she’s hiding in one of them.

“What’s going on Mammon?” Lucifer asks, annoyed as ever. Can there never be a normal moment around here? He’s tired and hungry and extremely on edge and Mammon isn’t helping with any of those things, at the moment. Or ever, really.

“Solomon lost my human!” he shouts accusingly. “I told ya we couldn’t trust her with that shady sorcerer, but oh no! No one listens to the Great Mammon!”

“Are you serious? S-she’s gone?” Levi asks, glancing around the woods nervously. He can’t imagine their little human surviving out there on her own. 

“That bow Lord Diavolo gave her is gone too.” Satan confirms, mildly curious about the turn of events. 

“Solomon, when is the last time you saw Lily?” Lucifer asks him in an interrogative tone. 

Solomon smiles a bit as he strokes his chin. “Hmmm...let’s see…” he takes time to ponder. No one is amused though, even Lord Diavolo is frowning. One of his exchange students has disappeared into the primeval forest. 

“Poor Lily.” Luke laments, almost in tears as if there’s no hope for the young human. “What if she has run into a pack of Al-Mi’raj?” Nobody sees Solomon's secret smirk as they all start shouting through each other, thinking about that possibility.

Only Asmodeus is too wrapped up in his own problems to pay attention to what the others are saying as he digs through his bags trying to find anything that might treat his itching skin. 

“Let’s form a search party of four groups.” Lord Diavolo tells Lucifer. Knowing that time is of the essence in finding Lily. She very well COULD run into a pack of those demonic critters, after all. Mammon is trying to call for Karasu but the damnable bird doesn’t respond to him. 

Solomon is staring past the group with an unconcerned smile on his face. Mammon is staring murderously at the sorcerer, like he might do something to wipe that grin right off his face, when they all turn to the sound of a bird call behind them. 

“Oh look, there she is.” Solomon says, barely able to keep the tone of amusement and triumph out of his voice. The humans have won this day and he is loving it! “No need to worry, anymore.”

Mammon turns just in time to see Karasu flying off into the night. That isn’t what catches everyone’s attention though. There is Lily, small and pale with blood smeared on her coat and face. 

And that’s not even the most surprising thing about her: It’s the dead Peryton she has slung over her shoulders. They all watch in stunned silence as she makes her way towards the campfire before she drops her kill on the ground without saying a word. And if that wasn’t shocking enough, she opens a sack that was tied to her waist and proceeds to pull out seven Al-Mi'raj.

“Who has a sharp knife for me?” she asks them with a sweet smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So where do you think Mammon went?! All will be explained in the next chapter. haha.
> 
> The rabbit creatures were inspired by the Al-Mi'raj, the Wolpertinger and of course The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Mi%27raj  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolpertinger
> 
> Cluelesse suggested the Peryton and my version is just less cute than typically described. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peryton
> 
> You might be familiar with the Bogge if you're a fan of ACOTAR but its basically a version of the Bogeyman


	21. After the Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another huge THANK YOU to Cluelesse who helped me immeasurably with the camping chapters of this story. If you haven't already, go look up their fics!

“Wh-.” Mammon immediately starts to sputter, clearly his brain has ceased to function over Lily's sudden appearance. 

Her smile drops as she looks around. “I’m serious, I wasn’t able to field dress this Peryton out in the woods and I need to do that before the meat spoils.” she tells them. Her hand is outstretched waiting.

Solomon stands, producing exactly the sort of knife she needs, from one of his special pockets. They share a secret smile as she accepts the knife with a nod of thanks before she looks around, frowning at the lack of items she is used to having on hand. 

“It’s not clean to dress these on the ground..does anyone have rope? Can we make a makeshift table? Did anyone bring any proper cooking equipment?” she asks in rapid fire, completely down to business and not noticing the shocked and angry looks she’s surrounded by. 

Suddenly multiple voices are shouting around her at once. A myriad of questions and accusations are being flung her way. Lily clutches the knife Solomon gave her, she can’t make sense of the chaos and she’s considering Mammon’s advice he gave her on the first day: to run.

Amidst the cacophony of raised voices, Lucifer grabs Lily by the back of her coat, hauling her up, her feet dangling as he begins yelling at her above all the other voices. “Lily! You disobeyed a direct order from Lord Diavolo!” he seethes. 

Lily finds herself shrinking into the over-sized coat. Just as she had imagined; Lucifer is truly terrifying when he raises his voice. She clutches the knife between them with her bloodied hands, knowing it won’t be any protection for her if he decides to kill her. But it is the only defense she has.  
  
“Lucifer calm down.” Diavolo orders, his own hand grabs Lucifer’s wrist. 

Lucifer prompt releases Lily, still angry. Lily is surprised by Mammon who catches her by the arms so she doesn’t fall when she drops to her feet. She is about to thank him when he begins yelling at her next. 

“Oi! What the eight hells were ya even thinking ya dumb human?! Do ya know what sort of nightmares are out there?!” he’s shouting at her while simultaneously taking the knife away from her. Then to her surprise, his hands begin undressing her. There are so many things happening in rapid order, that she doesn’t know what to say and just stares at him.

Levi was about to give their human his own thoughts on the matter, until he sees what Mammon is doing. Rushing over he tries to remove Mammon’s hands for their human. “W-wh-what are you doing?! Leave our human alone!” 

Mammon easily pushes Levi aside as he finishes pulling her coat off and tears off the blood stained portion of her shirt sleeve. “Hey!” Lily protests as she hears the fabric rip. As if it was the sound she needed to finally be able to react to all that is happening to her.

“See! Look she got bit!” he announces. Behind him Luke gasps in horror. “Ya got blood all over ya!” he growls and tries to pull more of her clothes off to continue inspecting his human for injuries. 

“Most of it isn’t mine!” Lily tells him, futilely trying to push away his hands. “Stop trying to take off my clothes, Mammon!”

Hearing that, Levi is back to her defense, trying to pull Mammon off. Even Solomon looks ready to intervene when Lucifer, having found a viable target for his rage hauls Mammon off. When Mammon tries to open his mouth, Lucifer casually punches him right in the face. “OW!” Mammon holds his face, his butt firmly planted on the ground, several meters away from Lily. 

Lily backs up when she realizes that Levi is sniffing her. _What the hell?!_ She didn’t expect them to be happy that she went hunting, but she certainly did not expect this level of chaos. But Levi already pulls away before she can say anything about his strange behavior. 

“The blood is not human, it’s from an Al-Mi'raj.” he tells everyone who is still watching the chaotic scene. _Okay? They can smell different kinds of blood now too?_ She thinks. _When was I going to learn about that in Demon Biology 101?_ “She only has this superficial bite. Also from an Al-Mi'raj too I suspect.” She hears Leviathan continue and confirms with a nod to him.

Behind them Luke nearly faints. 

Simeon has pushed through the demons and holds Lily’s arm. With a few spoken words, Lily is amazed to see the blood vanish from her skin and the two vampiric looking holes in her arm seal up, as if they were never there. She feels clean and refreshed all over, actually. 

“Simeon. We just reminded you not more than two hours ago not to use Celestial Magic.” Lord Barbatos sighs. 

Simeon looks alarmed. “Oh? Surely a simple clean up and healing spell don’t count?!” he feigns ignorance on the matter while patting Lily’s arm in a reassuring way, giving her a wink.

“Lily.” This time it is Lord Diavolo who addresses her. “It seems I’ve underestimated you. I'm very impressed that you managed to have such a successful hunt and not get eaten in the process.” he laughs shortly before his face turns more serious again. “But... I must insist you never attempt to do something like this again. If something were to happen to you, it would undermine the integrity of the exchange program.”

“Well maybe next time you’ll give me the benefit of the doubt and invite me along and not treat me like a child.” Lily counters calmly as she crouches down to reclaim the knife Solomon had given her. Mammon had carelessly discarded it. She was tired of being bullied, bossed around and treated as less just because she was human.

“HOW DARE -” Lucifer begins to boil over again but Diavolo quickly hushes him.

“Everyone should be nice to Lily.” Beel states, while being busy with cooking equipment. “She’s the only one who brought back food, after all.” 

Lucifer and Diavolo both color red, embarrassed that they’ve been shown up by this small human. Both considering that they would probably have had a more peaceful, and definitely more successful hunt, if they had traded in a few of Lucifer’s brothers for one Lily. Not that they could admit that, of course.

“Don’t think that you’re getting more food than anyone else, Beelzebub.” Lucifer says. He needs to punish someone and if it can’t be Lily, then any of his brothers will do just fine. 

Beelzebub's face falls, realizing how serious this punishment is for him. It will be like he barely gets anything to eat at all!

Satan had been staring suspiciously for awhile now. “How is it that you were able to even see out there in the woods?” he asks her suddenly. 

Caught off guard by the sudden question Lily flounders for an answer. She has no answer for him that will not reveal Solomon. Fortunately she doesn’t have to worry about that, as Solomon grins.

“I may have cast a small spell on dear Lily’s eyes…” the sorcerer admits cryptically. The amusement now evident on his face.

“AH-HA!” Mammon shouts. “I knew he was lying! Ya can’t trust that one, I told ya!” he moves away to the other side of the campfire when he sees Lucifer glaring at him again. 

Satan snorts. “Even if you could see in the dark, how would you know where, or what, to hunt without a guide? Would you have us believe you are so lucky?” 

At that moment Karasu sweeps out from the trees and lands on Lily’s shoulder, picking at her hair with his beak again. It is almost as if the demon-bird admits it was all his idea. Lily strokes his feathers with a smile, which he obviously enjoys, but Satan snorts derisively at the sight of the bird. 

“Oi! Karasu! Ya traitor! You went into the woods with my human!?” Mammon is shouting again. He doesn’t like it at all that Lily gives his familiar that kind of affection. Karasu just ruffles his feathers and gives out an indignant squawk, flying away again. Satan doesn’t look convinced and everyone else looks mostly surprised. 

Beels stomach growls loudly despite the fact that he’s already eaten a whole family of hogs. “Can we let Lily cook now?” he asks plaintively. While everyone else was harassing her, he’d gone and collected all the things Lily would need to properly dress and process her kills.

“Who cares about any of that!” Asmodeus shrieks, as he comes tumbling from his tent. Lily looks at him in shock, she’s never seen the Avatar of Lust look so awful. Blistering raised red patches are all over his legs, arms and even his face. “Look at me!? I’m hideous!” he wails. 

“Stop scratching, you imbecile.” Lucifer growls. Really, is everyone incompetent around here?

Satan has that wicked grin on his face again. “I’ve read that if you cover yourself in mud that it will help the itch.” he informs his brother. 

Asmodeus seems to be debating his options before he runs off towards the lake with a frustrated cry. Solomon shakes his head. He knows the mud is just a temporary fix at best and that Satan just wants to see his brother covered head to toe in mud. 

While Asmodeus is gone, Satan lifts the Peryton and strings it up from a tree branch. At least now Lily can finish processing the animal without getting dirt all over the meat. Levi and Mammon are both hanging back, watching her, as if she might run off into the woods again. 

Solomon appreciates the skill in which Lily uses the knife on the beast without any hesitation. He can tell she’s done this many times before. Beelzebub has set a pot down next to her and Lily uses it to discard the guts and organs. He leaves to gather the rest of the cooking gear.

Once she’s finished she allows Beezebub to take over cooking the meat. Lucifer is closely supervising him to make sure he doesn’t try to eat any of it, much to Beelzebub’s disappointment. 

When Lily sits down to pluck, gut and skin the strange rabbit-like creatures, she is surprised when Satan sits down next to her to help. She blinks at him inquisitively. 

“I have to say Lily.” Satan whispers to her. “You’ve either got a lot of guts or you’re just that stupid to defy not only Lord Diavolo, but Lucifer too.” Lily just shrugs and looks back down at her work. Satan frowns at her lack of attention. This girl invites trouble, intentionally or not. It could be interesting, keeping her around. “If you think Lucifer is going to let this go unpunished...you have a lot to learn.” Satan continues. “But if you can take it...well I’m always looking for partners in making Lucifer’s life miserable…” he tells her.

Satan is getting angry at Lily’s lack of response or acknowledgement of his words. What is up with this human? There is a lot more about her than she shows. That much is clear to him after today. But it is annoying that she seems to refuse to show it to him. Before he can say more to her, Mammon and Levi barge over, crowding them. 

“Oi! What're ya doin’ over here, whisperin’ to my human?!” Mammon shouts, glaring at Satan, who just rolls his eyes. As if it wasn’t obvious, sitting there with bloodied hands and feathers sticking to it.

“Our human…” Levi mutters under his breath. _Man. I can’t believe I share a pact with the same human as Mammon. This so isn’t fair!_ Levi thinks to himself, completely ignoring the fact that he is the main reason that Lily has a pact with Mammon in the first place. 

“I think he’s helping to prepare these for dinner.” Lily answers for Satan as she continues to gut the Al-Mi'raj. She pauses to blink up at Mammon with wide eyes. “What are you doing, Mammon?” 

Mammon is sputtering and reaching for a response again as Lily goes back to her work, this time humming a little tune to herself. “Un-un-freakin’ believable!” Mammon growls before stomping off, twice he thinks about turning around and having words with his human before he decides to go clean off at the Lake. Satan snickers softly. She sure drives everyone around her crazy. She would be a good partner in crime.

“Where’s he going now?” Lily wonders, mostly speaking to herself. She startles a bit when Satan answers her. “Probably going to the Lake to clean up.” Lily frowns slightly when she notices the rough way Satan is gutting his Al-Mi'raj and almost reaches out to correct his technique before thinking better of it. She is grateful for the help, after all.

“Can’t he do a clean up spell?” she asks, confused. She’s seen several demons do this already. Different from the magic Simeon had used on her earlier, but effective at surface cleaning nonetheless. 

Satan snorts a short laugh. “Mammon? The last time he attempted that spell it went sorely wrong, so no, he’ll wash up the traditional way.”

Lily wonders about this as she finishes her last Al-Mi'raj. Mammon was supposed to be the second most powerful of the brothers as it had been explained to her. Yet he didn’t seem very bright or as skilled. No one seemed to really respect him and she wonders where his true strength lies. 

Satan gathers up her catch when they finish, assisting with Beel in making their dinner. Levi approaches her, now that she is alone. 

“You know...this all reminded me of an anime where the cute, innocent, unsuspecting love interest of the hero competes in a cooking contest for his affection and surprises everyone by bypassing the local market and heading out into the wilderness to gather her own ingredients and game. Just like when you walked into camp with that Peryton on your back. Wow. That was great…” Levi finally pauses to open his eyes and glance at Lily who is smiling at him sweetly, wondering what in the world he’s talking about. 

“Um! I mean..uh...not that I think YOU’RE c-cu-cute! I mean! You’re not u-ugly or anything...for a three dimensional being…” Instead of finishing his thought, Levi turns tail and disappears inside a tent with red cheeks. 

Lily watches him go with a look of confusion. Lord Barbatos approaches with a basin of water and a hand towel folded over his arm, still looking like a proper butler in the middle of the woods. In fact, Lily realizes he is the only one who seems completely unfazed by the evening's events. 

“Thank you.” Lily quickly washes up. Barbatos nods slightly and the basin and towel vanish into thin air when she’s finished. “Wow…” she whispers, she doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to the wonder of witnessing magic first hand. 

  
  


Lucifer and Lord Diavolo are on the edge of the campsite apparently having a private conversation and Barbatos lingers nearby in case his Lord has need of him. Beelzebub and Satan are on cooking duty, Levi is hiding in his tent, Mammon and Asmodeus haven't returned from the Lake. Lily finally sees her chance to try to speak to Luke and Simeon in private who are sitting just a little ways away from the campfire. 

Solomon however waylays her. “I whipped up a little ointment for our friend, the Avatar of Lust.” he tells her with a smirk, pushing a jar of ointment into her hands. Lily blinks at him, once again confused and wondering why everyone around here speaks in riddles. Asmodeus certainly hasn’t been a friend of hers. “Trust me.” Solomon tells her with a wink. As if he can read her mind, “It’s better to have Asmo on your side, than against you.”

Lily nods and accepts the jar of ointment. Her father taught her, above all, to be kind and courageous. Asmodeus may not deserve her kindness but that was no reason for her to stoop to the levels of...well..demons. Entering her tent she grabs the first aid kit she packed and some thick fuzzy socks. Then she waits for Asmodeus to return from the Lake. 

Lily waits only a few minutes after hearing Asmodeus loudly re-enter camp, wailing at everyone not to look at him. She goes to his tent and pauses with her hand on the zipper. “Asmodeus...may I talk to you?” she calls softly, her anxiety rising at the potential confrontation.

“Go away!” she hears him hiss from inside. “I’m too ugly for pointless conversations with insignificant humans.” he finishes in a whining voice. 

Lily can’t help but to roll her eyes. She can’t remember meeting anyone this dramatic before. She considers her options, it would be easiest to just give up on him and let Solomon give him the ointment that she is doubting that he even deserves. Lily closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and sighs. She doesn’t give up that easily.

“I have some things that will help you…” she tells him through the tent flap. 

Lily steps back as she hears him move inside the tent. He opens the tent and his face, mostly hidden under a scarf, peeks out. “Really?!” he asks her, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “This isn’t another nasty human prank is it?”

Lily tries to keep her face flat, even though she wants to giggle at how ridiculous he looks. She doesn’t need to pull anymore pranks on him because he’s done a good enough job making himself miserable and looking pitiful. “I promise.” she smiles, making the motion of crossing her heart with a finger. 

Asmodeus sniffs, sticking up his nose and looking away as if he’s considering it. “I guess you can come in…” he finally tells her. “Whatever you have, it better works! Or else!” He threatens her.

Lily internally is debating once more leaving him to wallow, but she merely smiles at him in her demure way and crawls into his tent. Asmodeus is still covered in mud except in the places where he’s begun itching again and has scratched off the dried mud. 

Setting her things down she tells him, “You’ll need to get clean…” Asmodeus performs a simple spell that clears the mud from his skin. It’s only then that Lily realizes that the Avatar of Lust is barely dressed aside from that ridiculous scarf hiding his face, wearing only some very tight, very small booty shorts. Her cheeks burn as she makes herself look busy, fiddling with the first aid kit.

Asmodeus, too miserable to be at the top of his game doesn’t even notice her reddened cheeks. “Well what do you have then?” he asks her in a waspish tone. 

His tone snaps Lily from her shyness and embarrassment about being near the half dressed demon. “First, you need to stop scratching. You know better, this is skin care 101.” Lily softly chides him. 

Asmodeus pouts, tears coming back in his eyes. “I knooooow! But I’m so miserable! I can’t help myself.” 

“Yeah, I know.” She nods at him, understanding. “Itches are the worst. Take your scarf off, we’ll start with your face.” she instructs him as she puts on the latex gloves from the first aid kit. 

Asmodeus hesitates, then growls. “Fine. But I’ll kill you, if you ever tell anyone about what you’ve seen today!” 

“I promise I won’t tell anyone.” She promises again. He accepts that and takes his scarf off for her. Lily keeps her expression even, but inwardly she’s wincing. It truly does look painful. She immediately gets to work smearing a generous amount of ointment on the blistering rashes. “I was ten years old when I walked through a patch of poison ivy. I had it all over, worse than you.” she tells him. “Of course it was only human world poison ivy, but for me it has the same effect. I know it looks bad now but if you stop scratching and you keep it treated there won’t be any marks left on your skin.” she tries to assure him, knowing how vain he is. “In the human world we even have bath soaks that are relieving. I’m sure you have even more at your disposal here…” her voice drifts off as she focuses on her task. Asmodeus’s expression is still displeased as he watches Lily work. But he has to admit to himself that he can already feel the itching fade.

After she finishes his face and neck, her cheeks burn when she realizes she’s touching his bare chest. She feels incredibly out of place, she’s never been in a situation like this before. She can barely remember the last time she thought of a boy in a romantic fashion, in recent years it's barely crossed her mind. The boys from her school had never been worth her time. Yet anyone with a pulse could not deny that the Avatar of Lust was an incredibly alluring and attractive figure. Even covered in a rash, his beauty could be seen. 

Lily didn’t realize she should consider herself lucky. If Asmodeus hadn’t been in an especially poor and self centered mood, he may have taken notice of her discomfort and made his mission to push her to her limits. 

When she has finally covered the last of his rashes with the pungent ointment, she takes a look at his feet. The blisters she sees are not as bad as he had complained about, she’d certainly had much worse before. She isn’t sure if he’d regenerated a bit already like she’d read about in her Demon Biology 101 book, or if they just had not been that bad to begin with. 

“Here.” she hands him the socks she brought. They were too large for her and since Asmodeus is the smallest of his brothers, she figures they would probably fit his feet. 

“What are these?” Asmodeus makes a face at the thick fuzzy socks. These definitely were not any of the ones he’d bought for her during their shopping trip. Even though he is still snapping at her, his tone has softened considerably. Feeling at least a bit pampered in the wilderness, like he deserves.

Lily answers him as she proceeds to cover his blisters with special blister bandaids from her kit. “If you want to walk comfortably until these heal, you’ll wear those and keep your feet cushioned.” she immediately begins to pack up the kit, after she is finished, leaving the jar of ointment with him. 

As she’s about to leave, Asmodeus calls out to her. “Wait...Lily..” she turns to see what he has to say. 

“Thank you.” he practically pouts, meeting her eyes and then glancing away. Clearly unused to thanking anyone, or maybe just humans. “I really appreciate your care.”

Lily offers him a smile. “Sure. Truce?” she asks. 

“Yeah. Okay human. Truce.” he offers her a smirk. 

“Oh and be sure to thank Solomon. He made that ointment for you.” she says with another sweet smile before leaving. Asmodeus hums to himself, wondering what that sorcerer is up to now. 

Lily retreats to her own tent for some peace until Lucifer is calling everyone over to the campfire for dinner. Asmodeus is the last to join them, still looking sulky but Lily is just grateful that he’s wearing proper clothes. She smiles to herself when she sees that he’s wearing her socks. 

“Oi! What’re ya smiling at?” Mammon scowls at her, still in a terrible mood. 

_Does he have a problem with me smiling now?_ Lily looks at Mammon with an absent look, the small smile still there as she asks, “hmm?”

“TCH! Nevermind….brainless humans.” Mammon mutters as he waits for his turn to get a bowl of Al-Mi'raj Stew. Lily pays him no mind, she’s getting used to his strange ways. 

“Not one word!” Asmodeus screeches at some of his brothers, who had already begun to snicker at his appearance. He sits down with his stew and sends around a deadly glare, before starting to eat.

“BEELZEBUB!” there’s a loud crack as a riding crop crashes down across Beelzebub’s hand as he’s going for a second helping of stew. Lucifer is glaring murderously at the Avatar of Gluttony. 

Lily jumps from her thoughts. _Holy moth balls...where did that come from?!_ She thinks to herself, as she decides then and there that Lucifer is definitely the scariest of all the demons she’s met. She’s staring at the riding crop with wide eyes, hoping that there’s a RAD policy keeping him from using that thing on exchange students. 

“You’ll get seconds when everyone else has had their fill.” Lucifer tells him with an icy glare. “If I am feeling generous.” 

There was Al-Mi'raj stew and large juicy, roasted chucks of the Peryton. There was a second stew of sorts that was made of all the intestines, organs and other soft parts of both the Peryton and Al-Mi'raj. Lily decides not to partake of that particular dish. Lord Diavolo has conjured a barrel of demonus. Lily was surprised to find it pleasing, she’d never been a drinker and was a lightweight the one and only time she had participated in underage drinking. The best part was, demonus apparently doesn’t affect humans at all. Or so Solomon promises her. She decides to trust him on that. He has been strange, but hasn’t been deceiving her, so far.

Lucifer had allowed Beelzebub to have more food once he was satisfied that Lord Diavolo was full and couldn’t eat another bite. Barbatos had some of the meat set aside and magically cured and wrapped up for Lily since it was her kill. 

Once dinner is done and the marshmallows are being taken out, Beelzebub starts to look even more forlorn. He’d eaten all of his on the trip over and no one else would share with him. Lily keeps two for herself and then hands her whole bag over to the glutton. “Here. You can have mine.”

Beelzebub accepts with a blush and huge grin. “You might be a human Lily, but you’re an Angel in my book.” he tells her. 

Luke scoffs while Simeon chuckles. Lily doesn’t notice the other brothers glaring at her. She wouldn’t care anyway if she had noticed. She just sends one of her sweet smiles to Beelzebub and starts cooking her marshmallows.

“So you never explained why your group arrived disheveled and mostly empty handed.” Solomon says. “I have to say, it leaves me curious how a group of demons and angels can return from a hunt, looking like that.”

Lucifer frowns as if just thinking about it, starts bringing up another headache. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

Satan smirks. “I think this is the perfect campfire story.” he says to contradict Lucifer and he immediately starts to tell Solomon, Levi, Beelzebub and Lily about their adventures.

“....so, after so many interruptions we’re heading back to camp, when we notice that Mammon is gone.”

“COME ON! Ya don’t gotta tell them about that!” Mammon complains, blushing. 

“Oh YES. I think he should!” Levi counters with a glare.

Satan chuckles and continues his story, ignoring Lucifer’s sighs of displeasure. “According to Mammon, he followed a trail of grimm off into the woods and that led him to the cave where we eventually found him.” Satan grins. 

“Oi! Who would just leave grimm lyin’ there?!” Mammon tries to defend himself. 

“Exactly! Which is why you should have questioned it from the beginning!” Asmo says crossly. 

“Tch.” Mammon rolls his eyes. 

“Stop interrupting!” Satan demands with a glare, but there’s still this glimmer of malicious delight in his eyes when he continues. “Anyway, once we realized the idiot was missing, we had to search for him. Lucky for him, it didn’t take us too long.”

Satan pauses for dramatic effect. Beelzebub and Leviathan are snickering. Solomon looks mildly amused, but Lily is listening to him with big eyes and hanging on every word, finding it quite interesting. Encouraged by that, Satan continues.

“So when we walk into the cave we see this fool literally swimming in the digestive juices of one of the Devildom’s most dangerous carnivorous plants.” Satan is scowling but Lily can’t help but think his eyes are dancing with mirth as he tells it. 

“You’re tellin’ it all wrong!” Mammon says. “Look! When I reached the cave I figured there’d be some small fry dragon starting it’s hoard and I thought I’d help myself with it. Ya wouldn’t believe what I saw! Mountains and heaps of grimm and in the middle of it all a golden sparklin’ pond that looked like liquid gold and pure sunshine all mixed up! Of course I had to take a swim!”

Everyone is shaking their heads, sighing or rolling their eyes in response.

“The fact is, there was no grimm!” Satan counters. “A spore must have found its way to Mammon’s single brain cell. From there it will make you hallucinate whatever driving desires you have. It’s whole goal is to lure you into the pool until it’s too late.”

Lily internally shudders at the thought of being eaten alive by a demon plant. _No thank you!_ She thinks to herself. 

“Anyway! Let’s talk about something else.” Mammon grumbles. 

“Lily. You said you grew up in the woods?” Satan asks, not planning to let Mammon get off the hook. “Do you have any good human world campfire stories?”

Lily’s eyes grow even wider as she looks around. She understands that Satan wants to continue teasing Mammon and smiles slightly. She’s up for that! “Well.” she says in a hushed whisper, causing everyone to lean in a bit to hear her. “There is a rumor that the woods nearby my cabin are home to a Wendigo…”

“A wind-a-whatsit?!” Mammon asks nervously.

“A wendigo. A mythological creature that is cannibalistic in nature.” Satan informs him. 

“How’d ya know that?” Mammon asks. 

“I read books. Try it some time.” Satan says dryly. “It’s a very common monster in the human world folktales.”

Lily feels a bit relieved that they aren’t telling her that the Devildom is full of Wendigos, she’d hate to find out that the childhood monster that sometimes haunted her dreams was real. 

“Anyway…” she continues in her soft, hushed voice. “The Wendigo is a gaunt man-like creature, it’s desiccated skin pulled tight over its bones. It’s face is mostly rotted away.”

Solomon nods and adds in a conspiratorial tone. “They say sometimes they hide their face in the skin of a deer so that it looks like a corpse with the head of an antlered buck. They say you’ll smell it before you see it, the smell of death and corrupted flesh.”

Lily smiles at him. His confirmation to her story makes it more realistic to the demons and angels surrounding them. And it is effective: They hang onto her every word. 

She pauses before continuing. “Wendigos, despite the way they look, are inhumanly fast and freakishly strong. They can easily carry off a large man and string him up in a tree to eat later.”

Mammon gulps and looks up at the trees. Satan chuckles. “This Wendigo is starting to sound more and more like Lucifer.”

Lucifer barely reacts, though is suppressing an eyeroll. Satan will have to try harder than that. 

“Some legends say that the Wendigos are hunters who befell some sort of calamity in the woods and had to resort to eating each other to survive. Others...” Lily pauses and looks at Mammon. “...say that they are the corpses of men who were consumed by greed and are now cursed to roam the woods, craving flesh. If you’re lucky you’ll die quickly when they attack...otherwise they might leave you tied up in a tree or cave for days..maybe weeks before they decide to eat you...alive!”

“Ha! You’re gonna have to do better than that, human! If ya want to scare a bunch of demons. Wendigos...pshhh.” Mammon mocks her openly with too much bravado. But just then, Simeon snaps the stick he’s been toying with in his hands. “Aaiiiieee!” Mammon yelps. “What was that?!”

Lily covers a smile with her hand as the rest of the group enjoys a good laugh at Mammon’s expense. Soon that hand is covering a large yawn. Even with Simeon’s healing spell, she feels exhausted, it’s been a long day. 

“Let’s clean up and go to bed. And I don’t want anyone leaving their tents tonight without good reason.” Lucifer warns them in his threatening way. 

Inside the shared tent, Beel goes to lay his sleeping bag down next to Lily when Luke comes in and sees it. “Oh no! I don’t think so, demon!” he charges in and pushes Beelzebub’s sleeping bag next to the door. 

“You can guard the door against Devildom monsters and critters and I’ll guard Lily from the likes of you.” he insists. Lily thinks Luke’s head might fall off his neck, he has to turn it up so far to look up at Beelzebub who towers over the little angel. 

Lily doesn’t want to argue, she’s tired so she just crawls into her sleeping bag, zipping it up over her head. They can work this one out on her own. 

“Fine. Just keep the yapping down.” Beelzebub grimaces at Luke. Lily is thankful that the angel and demon settle down and go to sleep so quickly. 

Sometime in the middle of the night Luke and Lily are woken by the rumbling of Beel’s stomach. Lily is used to this from sharing a room with him. He comes down from the loft and heads to the kitchen for his so-called snack. 

When she hears his hand on the zipper she calls out to him softly. “You’re going to be in trouble with Lucifer if he catches you out there.”

“I can’t help it.” he responds. “I’m hungry.” his stomach growls again loudly. Any louder and Lily is sure his stomach will wake the whole camp. And that will cause a whole other scene she isn’t looking forward to.

Sitting up she rummages in her bag. “Here.” she offers him the meat that Barbatos had given her. It’s good that they saved some of it. She doesn’t need it and now it comes in handy, because the sooner Beelzebub eats, the sooner they can all get back to sleep. 

“Thank you.” Beelzebub tells her, she can’t see anything in the dark tent, the spell Solomon had cast on her had worn off. She can still hear him begin to munch on the meat.

“Ugh.” Luke makes a sound of disgust and Lily giggles. _It is pretty gross._ She thinks to herself, yet there’s something endearing about the gluttonous demon too. 

Lily settles back down into her sleeping bag. “You’re too nice Lily.” Luke tells her in a whisper that Lily is sure that Beelzebub can still hear, but he probably isn’t paying attention to anything other than the meat. 

“Can you be too nice?” Lily wonders aloud. 

“Of course you can!” Luke insists. “Especially to demons...but uh...I think you’re a good person Lily...you’re really brave.” 

“Thank you for thinking so.” she tells him sleepily, already feeling the pull back to dreamland. 

“Just remember what I told you,” he warns. “And...you can come to me and Simeon for anything. We’re angels after all, we’ll help you here.” he promises her. 

Lily tries to thank Luke but all she can manage is a smile before she falls back asleep.

Here's a little treat... Lily and an Al-Mi'raj  
This was drawn by Zurui_e from instagram. You should definitely give them a follow if you have an account there!!   
They have some great Obey Me fanarts!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you are enjoying Lily's journey so far. Next chapter we are back on track with regular game events leading up to the pact with Beel and then the retreat at the castle with surprises and twists along the way of course ;-)


	22. An Unexpected Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke needs a place to stay

Lily is woken to Beelzebub almost ripping the tent door as he tugs on the zipper too violently, “Mmmm. Breakfast!” he cheers with much enthusiasm. The smell of cooking food wafts into the tent as he leaves. Luke groans and rolls over, covering his face with an arm. 

“I hate demons…” he mutters quietly to himself. Lily thinks to herself how adorable Luke is, she’d like to pinch his cheeks but she doubts he would appreciate it. 

After convincing Luke to get up, they both make their way outside. Lily is surprised to see that normal food has been conjured up from somewhere. She supposes that after last night, the powers that be have already given up on anymore hunts, at least with this group. She is curious what sort of magic is employed to do such a thing but despite her curiosity she does not ask.

“Good Morning Lily! Luke!” Lord Diavolo greets them with good cheer. None of last night's calamities seem to hang on to him. The same can’t be said for Lucifer. While Lily had never seen so much as a stray hair out of place on the Avatar of Pride, his expression and body language was that of someone nursing a tension headache.

“Help yourself.” Lord Barbatos tells them as he prepares a kettle of hot water over the fire, no doubt to brew more tea and coffee. 

“Good morning.” Lily returns Lord Diavolo’s smile as she considers her options. Deciding on a muffin that looks and smells safe, she sits next to the fire to chase away the morning chill. Despite everything that has happened, Lily hasn’t felt better since finding herself trapped in the Devildom. Being outdoors, even in this strange sunless land has done her good. Closing her eyes, she tries to pretend she’s in the woods behind her cabin. Tries to imagine the sun filtering through the leaves and warming her face. 

“Oi!” Mammon flicks Lily on the forehead. “Whaddya doin’? You’re going to choke on your food if ya fall asleep like that!” 

Lily furrows her brow as she rubs the spot she was flicked with the back of her hand. So much for a peaceful morning. She thinks before she gives Mammon a disapproving look. “I wasn’t sleeping...just..daydreaming.” she tells him as she closes her eyes again hoping he’ll leave her be. 

“Tch.” Mammon rolls his eyes as he sits down next to her. “Ya better not be dreamin’ of pullin’ off any stunts like yesterday. I’m keepin’ my eye on ya today.” he tells her before stuffing his mouth with food. 

True to his word, Mammon stuck like glue to Lily’s side for the rest of the day. Levi was often trailing behind them. She didn’t get a real chance to talk to the angels or thank Solomon. Overall the day was quite uneventful, not that Lily was complaining. Despite her good mood, she was quite tired and was relieved when Lord Diavolo announced that they were going back to RAD. 

Just as before, Lord Diavolo effortlessly transports the entire group back to the RAD courtyard. Lily doesn’t seem to be the only one who is tired as everyone makes their goodbyes short.

Lily finds her mind wandering as her feet shuffle slowly at the back of the group as they walk back to the House of Lamentation. Suddenly she’s being lifted off her feet and hefted like a sack of potatoes over Beelzebub's shoulder. 

Lily meets Beelzebub’s eyes with her own, wide and questioning. “You were walking too slow.” he offers her as an explanation with a slight blush to his cheeks. He won’t admit to her that she had been shuffling in a way that reminded him of his twin and that he’d reached out to her out of habit. She didn’t feel the same on his shoulder though, she was much too light. She reminded him of someone else, a thought that made his heart ache the same way his belly ached for food. 

Before Lily can say anything, Mammon is marching up to them. “Oi! Put my human down Beel!” he orders his younger sibling. Levi only looks mildly interested, he’s only ever seen Beel carry his twin that way and he very much doubts he means Lily any harm.

“Oh Beel.” Asmodeus sighs. “If you’re going to carry a lady...that’s certainly NOT the way to do it.”

Beel just looks confused. “You carry a lady like this.” Asmodeus demonstrates by sweeping Levi up into a bridal style hold. 

Lily is having a hard time seeing everything that’s going on, she has to push herself up to catch Levi turning tomato red as he flails in Asmo’s hold while demanding to be put down. Up ahead Satan is rolling his eyes and Lucifer is sighing. 

“She’s tired.” Beel says, ignoring Asmodeus. When Mammon demands that he put her down again. “Are you offering to carry her?” 

Lily is about to insist that she doesn’t need to be carried until Mammon sputters indignantly. “Me?! The GREAT Mammon doesn’t carry humans around. Tch.” 

Beelzebub snorts and keeps walking. Lily tries to settle and enjoy the ride back to the House because she doesn’t think he is planning on letting her go. And Mammon can just stew about it if he’s going to act that way towards her. 

Mammon follows them, muttering all the way home. He doesn’t like how chummy Beelzebub is getting with his human. They don’t have a pact and she can’t command him if he gets out of control. He doesn’t want her to have a pact with him either, it’s bad enough he has to share her with Leviathan now. She’s his human, he was her first and they should respect that. He thinks grumpily to himself. 

“Lily. My room. Now.” Lucifer says in an icy tone once they are all back inside the House of Lamentation. Lily frowns as Beelzebub gently sets her down, he gives her one sorry glance before disappearing up the stairs. 

Lily follows slowly behind Lucifer, feeling as if she’s walking to the gallows. Mammon and Levi are following behind her. Lucifer waits for her, next to his open door. As she steps inside, Levi and Mammon try to follow her in. 

“Not you two.” Lucifer glares, as he shuts the door in their faces. Leaving Mammon shouting on the other side. 

“That’s my human Lucifer! Dontcha touch her!” Mammon yells through the door. 

Lily can hear Levi on the other side as well. “Don’t be stupid Mammon. He’s just going to lecture her to death. He won’t go against Lord Diavolo.” he assures him. 

“Ya it’s the death part that has me worried..” Mammon mutters loudly. Lily smiles and giggles a bit to herself. Mammon is such a contrarian she doesn’t know what to think of him half the time. 

*Ahem* Lucifer clears his throat and the smile on Lily’s face dies away. Still, she does her best to stand tall and keep her shoulders square and chin level. She’s had a lifetime of dealing with bullies and Lucifer has bully written all over him. Well, she’d show him that she’s not easily cowed. 

“Lily..I’ve been generous with you haven’t I? I’ve allowed you to sate your curiosity. I’ve withheld punishments. Yet you continue to defy me. Even worse, you went against Lord Diavolo himself. Tell me Lily…” Lucifer talks down his nose at Lily who is much smaller than he, his voice chilling as he steps so close that Lily is forced to raise her head back to keep eye contact. 

“Are you truly stupid or do you have a death wish?” he asks yet doesn’t give her a chance to respond as he continues. “I will not allow you to undermine all the hard work that’s gone into bringing this exchange program into fruition. This is Lord Diavolo’s life goal, his dream. It is my responsibility to see that he achieves them. I will admit that you have some protections but do not delude yourself in thinking that you are safe and irreplaceable. If you become too troublesome I will find a way to have you removed...permanently.”

Finally he’s finished but Lily finds herself at a loss for words. Her mouth opens and closes. She’s used to being teased and pushed around but she’s never been in a situation where her life has been threatened repeatedly. Handling teenage boys and girls was one thing, handling the Avatar of Pride was another. 

So many emotions swirled inside her. Yesterday she had felt triumphant in her hunt and then dismayed by the chaos that ensued. For the first time in her life Lily felt very angry. These demons kidnap her, turn her life upside down and treat her this way? This morning she had felt content. She thought the outdoors had done her good, she had been feeling the most like herself since coming here. But there was something else too. It was this raw feeling of familiarity. She felt as if she belonged here, she didn’t know why she craved Lucifer’s respect but his constant disdain for her felt like a slap in the face. None of her feelings made sense. Why should she care what this vile demon said or thought of her?

“If all you’re going to do is stand there with that vapid look on your face. You can go.” Lucifer dismissed her with a sigh. 

Lily snapped her mouth shut and turned to leave. She kept her composure until the door shut behind her. 

“That bad eh?” Mammon said as he took in her appearance. Lily saw that Mammon had waited for her. She saw a kind softness in Mammon’s eyes that threatened to undo her. She had a strong urge to be held, when was the last time she’d been allowed to cry in someone’s embrace? When her mother died? 

Feeling as if she might come undone, she smiled tightly at Mammon. “Goodnight.” she told him before she turned towards Beelzebub’s room. Mammon watched her disappear not knowing what to do. His hands had itched to reach out to her, to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay. What was he thinking?! He couldn’t go soft for some human, he, the GREAT Mammon!

Angrily he knocked on Lucifer’s door. Surprisingly the door swung open and Lucifer stood there with a sour look on his face. “Ya could try going easy on her! She’s just a puny human after all.” Mammon ranted at his older brother. 

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at Mammon. His idiot brother often did rash things for the sake of his younger brothers, but he never thought he’d see the day Mammon risked his own hide to stand up for some human. “Mammon. As your older brother. I’m going to give you a rare piece of advice. Don’t entangle yourself too closely with this human. They bring nothing but chaos and trouble.” The implication was left unsaid between them as Lucifer slammed his door closed in his brother's face. 

Lily was relieved to find that Beelzebub was no longer in his room when she entered. She wanted to journal but it had been left behind in the rubble of her room. Sitting on her bed she stared at the wall trying to empty her mind. She needed to calm down. Getting upset would only cause her to make rash decisions. 

A tapping sound at the window caught her attention, walking to the window she opened it up for Karasu. She folded her arms and gave the bird a small smile. “I could use the company.” she sighed. “But please stay in that form...I don’t want to talk.” she tells him as she walks back to her bed. 

Karasu gives her an indignant squawk but compiles, flying into the room. Landing on her shoulder, he pulls at her hair with his beak. Lily huffs, her breath blowing her bangs out of her eyes and gives the bird some attention. Using a finger to stroke the top of his head. She wonders absently at the absurdity her life has become. 

Weariness finally compels her to lay down on her side, Karasu hops up to perch on Beelzebub’s headboard, a silent sentinel watching over the sleepy human. 

When Lily wakes up she realizes she slept through dinner but she’s not really hungry. She notices a half eaten roll on her bedside table with a note that has one word sprawled on it messily…’sorry.’ Lily smiles and shakes her head. Karasu is gone and the window closed again, she notes as she stands to stretch. 

She’s thinking she should shower and change for bed properly when her D.D.D. pings a message alert. She’s surprised to find a text from Luke asking her to meet him outside. Curious and mildly worried she quietly makes her way outside, relieved to not run into anyone on the way. 

Luke is waiting for her nervously outside the gates, she notes that Simeon is not with him and realizes she’s never seen the two apart before. 

“Lily! You came, thank you! I was worried...I don’t know what I’d do if someone saw me hanging out in a place like this.” Luke tells her fervently. He looks out of sorts, more than usual. 

“Of course...are you alright Luke?” she asks him. 

“No! I’m not alright! I wouldn’t have come to this den of demons otherwise. Now I’ll get right to the point. I need you to let me spend the night in your room tonight. Please, I’m begging you!” He pleads with large eyes. 

Lily frowns as she wonders what could have happened to make Luke feel compelled to seek refuge here but she doesn’t have the heart to turn him away. She decides not to tell him that she’s sharing a room with Beelzebub, she doesn’t want to start a scene out here. 

“Alright.” she tells him. “I’m not Lucifer’s favorite person right now...so let’s be quiet and sneak you in quick.”

Luke nods, looking determined. He takes her hand as she turns back to the Manor. She’s mildly surprised by this. She’s never held someone’s hand before, it feels nice. She gives him a little squeeze as they make their way to Beelzebub’s bedroom. Once again Lily’s luck is with her as the hallways remain empty. 

When Lily shuts the door behind them, Luke is looking around the room in confusion. “This is your room Lily?” he asks her, doubt in his voice. 

“Well..” Lily begins to explain when a certain fiery haired demon leans over the loft rails and looks down at them. “Why is Luke here?” he asks between a mouthful of food. 

“Lily, this isn’t what I was talking about at all. I believe I asked to stay in your room...so what are we doing here in Beelzebubs?!” Luke asks after realizing who’s room they are in.

“He needs a place to stay.” Lily says looking up at Beelzebub who’s now making his way down the spiral staircase. 

“You’re talking too loud. If you don’t want the others to know you’re here, you’d better keep it down.” Beelzebub tells Luke. 

“Answer the question!” Luke says, stomping his foot. He hates being ignored. 

“No one can use Lily’s room right now.” Beelzebub answers, frowning down at the small angel. 

Luke looks befuddled. “Wha? What do you mean no one can use it?” 

Lily looks at Beelzebub, his shoulders sag as he answers. “It’s all because of the custard.”

“The custard?” Luke looks even more confused now. Lily has to stifle a giggle. 

“Lily and I have to share a room now. We don’t have a choice. Those were Lucifer’s orders. I don’t remember asking anyone to pick up a dog from the street and bring it back here, not to mention one that never stops barking.” Beelzebub answers grumpily. 

“Hey! Don’t you compare me to a dog! Anyway, I wasn’t picked up off the street! I came here of my own free will!” Luke insists, getting too loud again. Lily can’t help but think that Luke reminds her a little of Mammon at times. 

“Here, drink this for now, and try to calm down.” Beelzebub says, handing Luke a bottle he pulls from his personal mini fridge. 

“Wh-What’s this supposed to be?...It’s red...it better not be some sort of weird demon drink...like some strange creature’s blood or something! Tell me it’s not!” Luke says dramatically, holding the drink away from his body. 

“It’s just pomegranate juice.” Beelzebub says with a shrug and an expression that says he really doesn’t understand why Luke is so fussy.

“Wh..what?! Beelzebub, why are you being nice to me? It’s creeping me out.” Luke exclaims but takes a sip anyway. Lily shakes her head. Even the angels have a flair for the dramatics, its not just the demons.

“Because you gave me cake once.” Beelzebub answers. Lily’s grin widens a bit. There’s a quote she heard once that said something about the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach and this was definitely true of the Avatar of Gluttony. 

“Oh right…” Luke answers. 

Lily feels like there’s a story there but now is not the time to get into it. “So why are you here Luke? What happened? Did you have a fight with Simeon?” she asks, thinking it's the only logical reason for him to have come so abruptly with this request. 

Luke looks a little surprised that Lily has figured that much out. “Yes! This is all Simeon’s fault. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.” he admits, getting riled up again. “ He’s getting way too chummy with these demons. We are angels. Proud inhabitants of the Celestial Realm! And what’s more, we resort directly to Michael the Archangel himself! Yet because of this exchange program, we’ve been sent down here to the devildom of all places- and what’s more, we’re supposed to associate with demons! It’s unbelievable! I mean, we’re talking about DEMONS here! Just the idea of speaking with one face to face is repulsive!”

Lily feels his response is a bit extreme but she tries to consider it from his perspective. Angels and Demons don’t get along after all. She’s not too fond of how she came to be here, herself. 

“um, let’s not forget that I’m actually a demon myself.” Beelzebub reminds Luke. 

“He came up with that ridiculous camping idea too! Look what happened there!” he shakes his head furiously. “If we go making friends with demons, what do you think is going to happen next huh? I’ll tell you what, we’ll be corrupted! I’m always warning him about this, but he ignores me. Then he just leaves to have tea with Diavolo….after we just got back from that horrible weekend!”

Lily reaches out awkwardly and pats Luke on the shoulder. He’s really having a hard time she realizes. It feels nice to offer him some sign of comfort. 

“He even suggested that I ask Barbatos to instruct me in the finer points of baking pastries and cakes! Can you believe it?! True, it's said that Barbatos is the greatest pastry chef in all the three worlds, but he’s a DEMON. Simeon won’t listen to a thing I say! I could disappear off of the face of the earth for all he cared! In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he even finds me annoying, Maybe he thinks of me like a dog too - a noisy dog that never shuts up!” Luke’s eyes well up with unshed tears.

“Well, it's’ true that you never shut up…” Beelzebub says under his breath but Luke ignores him. 

“Simeon would rather spend time with DEMONS than with me…!” Luke is trembling now and Lily gives Beelzebub a pointed look, trying to convey to the demon to be nicer.

“ ...oh, so this is just about being jealous then…” Beelzebub smiles and nods as if everything makes sense to him now. 

“I told Simeon our friendship was over, and then I strode right out of Purgatory Hall so I can’t go crawling back now, not after I did that. Which is why I’m asking you to let me stay here for a while.” he finishes his tale.

_ Hmmm. Jealousy and Pride. _ Lily thinks to herself. Those aren’t very angelic traits. Maybe angels aren’t as perfect as she imagined them to be or maybe it’s just because Luke is young. 

Lily looks to Beelzebub, it’s his room after all and he has the final say. She looks at the demon with wide, pleading eyes, hoping that he’ll show some mercy to the little angel. 

“Even though you hate demons?” Beelzebub asks, giving Luke a hard look. 

Luke hangs his head. “Well, what choice do I have?! ...This is the only place I could think of to go…”

“Okay, Luke can stay here. I do owe him for giving me that cake, after all.” he tells the angel after some thinking. 

“Really?! I can stay!?” Luke is suddenly jubilant. 

“Just make sure that my brother’s don’t find out about you. If they knew I was sheltering an angel, they’d kick me out of the dorm.” he replies..

Lily doubts that is true but she’s sure they must be breaking a rule or two of Lucifers because he seems to have plenty of rules about everything. She has to suppress an eye roll just thinking about it. 

“All right, got it! Leave it to me! I’ll make sure no one ever finds out! You think I’m about to let some demons find me!? I don’t THINK SO!” Luke says, pumping his fist into the air. 

“In that case, do us all a favor and be quiet!” Beelzebub growls, probably already regretting his decision. 

“Where will he sleep?” Lily asks. 

Luke looks around and sees the two beds. “Do you have a couch?” he asks, assuming that Lily and Beel have been using the beds.

Beelzebub shakes his head. “There’s a couch in the loft but I’ve been sleeping there.”

“He won’t let anyone sleep in Belphegor’s bed.” Lily tells Luke before he can ask, giving him a look that lets the angel know not to ask about it. 

“The bed is big. You can share with Lily.” he tells them. 

Luke looks like he might protest before he turns to Lily with a small blush. “If you don’t mind? I don’t snore!” he claims quickly.

Lily giggles. “That’s fine.”

Sleeping arrangements decided, Beel heads back up to the loft while Lily leaves the room to shower and change for bed. When she comes back to the room Luke is tossing and turning in the bed, looking miserable. 

“Can’t sleep?” she asks in a hushed voice.

“I’ll be fine.” Luke answers miserably. 

“Maybe I can help.” Lily says to him as she pulls back the covers to sit on her side of the bed. Luke looks at her with inquisitive eyes. She feels shy but determined to help the little angel. “Turn over.” she tells him. Once his back is turned to her she lightly brushes her fingers through his hair. Softly she begins to sing the lullaby her mother used to sing to her, one of her few precious memories she has of her. 

_ “La la lu  
La la lu  
Oh, my little star sweeper  
I'll sweep the stardust for you” _

Luke tries to sit up, feeling embarrassed. “ A Lullaby Lily? I’m not a child.” he protests. 

“Shhh!” Beelzebub make’s Lily jump as his weight settles on the bed next to her. She hadn’t heard the demon come down the stairs, drawn in by her sweet clear voice. “Quiet Luke I like it.” he smiles at Lily encouraging her to continue. Lily’s cheeks are burning now but she continues nonetheless.

_ “La la lu   
La la lu  
Little soft fluffy sleeper  
Here comes a pink cloud for you _

_ La la lu   
La la lu  
Little wandering angel  
Fold up your wings, close your eyes” _

Despite his earlier protests, Lily’s sweet voice and tender touch soothe Luke, his eyes already feeling heavy. 

_ “La la lu  
La la lu  
  
And may love be your keeper _

__ La la lu  
La la lu  
La la lu”

Luke is fast asleep when she finishes. Looking at Beelzebub Lily smiles at his sleepy half lidded expression. She feels guilty and almost offers him her place in the bed but then realizes that may give Luke quite a fright if he wakes up. Before she can say anything Beel stands, his large hand rests on top of her head for the briefest moment, “Goodnight Lily.” He says softly, in a sleepy voice as he makes his way to the loft. 

Lily snuggles into bed, which is large and gives her and Luke both plenty of room. She feels warm and sleepy herself, having not had enough sleep earlier. Luke’s presence is comforting to her, as is Beelzebub’s. Suddenly what happened with Lucifer doesn’t seem as bad as it had before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like the cute ending here. I wanted to do something cute with Luke at the end and I was thinking of a lullaby when I ran across this amazingly cute video on youtube. https://youtu.be/oGPyY_hQUpg I've always loved this song from Lady and the Tramp so it was perfect to use for this.


	23. When Your Puppy Goes Missing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke goes missing.

The next morning Lily and Beelzebub go to breakfast with a plan for sneaking some food back for Luke but unfortunately they are not as inconspicuous as they had hoped to be. 

“Hey. What’s the deal, Lily? Is that all you’re gonna eat? If ya don’t have yourself a proper breakfast, you’ll run out of gas before lunchtime. Are you feelin’ sick to your stomach? Is that it?” Mammon begins pestering her over the food she’s left on her plate. 

Lily blinks at Mammon. He actually used her name for once and is acting nice. She wonders what’s up with him. Is he going to ask her for money next? When Mammon is sweet it usually comes with strings attached, she’s begun to notice. She’s quickly developed a soft spot for Mammon but he confuses her and taxes her energy. 

“I’m fine. Please leave me alone, Mammon.” she tells him tiredly.

“Hmph! You really have a heart of ice, ya know that?!” he exclaims, throwing his hands up.

Asmo lets out a sigh from across the table. “The day’s only just begun, and already you two are flirting.” he whistles. “So cute..” his tone implying he thinks it’s anything but cute.

“H-Hey! W-We weren’t flirting!” Mammon protests, standing up from the table. His cheeks are red.

“Welp, I think I’ve had enough for now.” Beel announces and Lily internally winces. If he had kept his mouth shut no one may have noticed with the fuss Mammon was making. 

“Wh..?!” Mammon looks shocked but takes the opportunity to get everyone’s attention off of him. 

“Huh…!?” Asmodeus and Satan both look shocked. 

“Beel! You’re actually gonna...gonna leave FOOD on your plate!? Uneaten food?! You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me…!” Mammon says, his eyes wide.

While they are distracted, Lily takes the opportunity to wrap up her leftovers in a linen napkin and place it in her book bag. 

“I can’t even remember you doing that, and my memory goes back at least 5000 years!” Asmodeus exclaims. 

“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to eat it.” Beel defends himself, having realized his mistake. “I’m going to take it back to my room and finish it there. That’s all.”

“Is this the end of the world?! Are we about to be invaded by an army of angels?!” Mammon won’t drop the subject. 

“Can you really be called the avatar of gluttony if you don’t even finish all of the food on your plate?! If you don’t have that, you’re just a regular demon, aren’t you?!” Asmodeus adds, looking perplexed by the idea. 

“You picked up a cat from the street and brought it back to your room, didn’t you? That’s what this is about. Beel, once you’ve had your fun with this animal, you need to put it back where you found it.” Satan begins to lecture his younger brother, thinking he has figured it out. 

“Actually, it's more a dog than a cat…” Beel mutters under his breath. 

“Hm? Did you say something?” Satan asks with narrowed eyes. Lily is just thankful that Lucifer isn’t having breakfast with them this morning. 

“Nope, nothing.” Beel says, expressionless. Standing, with his plate in hand he makes to leave back to his room.

Lily stands, book bag in hand and rushes after him. “Oh I forgot a book.” she says as an excuse. 

The other three watch them go. Satan shakes his head and Mammon just looks confused.

"They are both terrible liars.” Asmo sighs. “What sort of animal do you think they brought home?”

When Lily catches up to Beelzebub he is frowning, following his line of sight she can see why. Luke is out of the room, wandering the hall and opening doors. 

“Hey! Lily, Beelzebub! What’s in this room here?” Luke calls out to them when he spots them walking his way.

“Luke, you can’t just leave my room whenever you feel like it. My brothers will find out.” Beelzebub tells him with a deeper frown. 

“But everyone else is off to class right now, right? I can’t stay cooped up in that room forever, I’ll go crazy! Whoa! What’s up with this room here?! It’s crammed wall to wall with books! And all of them have to do with demons!” Luke says in awe as he peers into Satan’s book cluttered room. 

Beelzebub tries to catch Luke, to keep him from exploring further. “Ugh, he keeps darting around. I can’t manage to catch him..”

Eventually they corral Luke back into Beelzebub’s room when they mention they brought him food, lucky to not have been found out. 

“Really?! You were able to get me food?” Luke asks. Even so, the little angel rejects almost everything on Beelzebub’s plate. Lily has a bit more luck with her offerings. Luke rattles off a list of things he will not eat and Lily wonders if it just wouldn’t be easier to tell them what he is willing to eat instead. Still, she can relate to the angel, Devildom fare is something she’s still trying to get used to herself. 

Beelzebub doesn't seem to mind as he quickly eats whatever Luke refuses. 

Once they are sure everyone else has already left, they leave for classes themselves. Closer to RAD they split up so it doesn’t look odd that they arrive together. Even so, Luke sticks to Lily’s side all day, much to Mammon’s displeasure, as he avoids Simeon, going as far as to ignore him in their shared classes.

At the end of the day it becomes a bit more tricky to figure out how to get Luke back to the House of Lamentation without anyone else noticing. Luckily Beelzebub has fangol practice and Lily tells Mammon that she has to stay late to work on a project with Luke. Just before dinner time Beelzebub walks them home safely and they are able to sneak Luke in while everyone else is at the dinner table. 

The only thing is that Beelzebub is never the last one to arrive at the table which launches his brothers into more suspicious gossip. Lily once again is able to sneak some food but she doesn’t notice that Lucifer has noted her behavior. His eyes narrowing on her as she makes an early retreat to bed. 

Luke is animated, telling a story to Lily when Beelzebub silently enters his room. 

“...Now keep this between us, all right? You absolutely can’t tell anyone else. Understand? Not Beelzebub or any of his brothers, either. But back then, I admired Lucifer even more than Michael. And it wasn’t just me. Other angels felt the same way. I think everyone did. Hehe, remember..this is our little secret, okay?” Luke smiles at Lily, beaming in his angelic way. 

Beels stomach growls loudly despite the fact he’s just come from dinner, startling them both. 

“D’AAAAH! Y-You scared me…! Beelzebub! At least knock before coming in! Sure, this is your room, but right now it’s my room too!” Luke scolds the large demon without fear. 

“We’re in big trouble. You’re about to be found out.” Beelzebub announces. 

“Huh?” Luke questions, Lily also looks confused. 

“We’re having a surprise inspection. Now.” Beel explains and Lily has ever seen him look this serious over anything before, anything besides food that is. 

Lily sighs, it doesn’t surprise her that Lucifer does surprise inspections. “What?!” Luke asks, surprised. “But we don’t have those at Purgatory Hall”

“That’s because you don’t live with Lucifer.” Beel offers as an explanation. “And he doesn’t just check to make sure we’re in, he also checks for contraband or uninvited guests.” he looks pointedly at Luke.

Luke looks nervous now. “Well I just need to hide then right?! Maybe under the bed…”

“Oh no. You’ll have to do WAY better than that. Asmodeus had a witch that he’d brought back home one night in his room. She transformed into a spider and hid, but Lucifer still found her.” Beel told them, shaking his head. 

“Wha?! Why would he go to such lengths?!” Luke wanted to know.

“It all started with Mammon…but there’s no time. Get in the closet.” he said, pushing Luke towards Belphegor’s closet. 

“But you just said he found a witch that turned into a spider?! You think the closet will work?” Luke asks in a panic. 

“I don’t know. Just stay quiet and I’ll try to distract Lucifer from looking there.” Beel says as he shuts Luke into the closet just before Lucifer arrives.

Lily feels nervous around Lucifer, if he finds Luke he’ll just have one more thing to hold against her. She stands there feeling like her and Beel are as good as caught. 

“All right...inspection time. Beel, Lily. I see you’re both here. I’m going to have to look through your room to be certain everything’s in order here. But before I do, is there anything you’d like to tell me?” he asks them, looking at them as if they are already guilty and he’s brainstorming punishments.

Lily just shakes her head and inadvertently glances at the closet that they hid Luke in. She mentally curses herself when Lucifer tracks her eyes and grins as if he’s found her secret. 

“Beel open that closet.” he orders his brother. 

Beel is expressionless when he says. “There’s nothing in there except Belphie’s clothes”

“Didn’t you hear me Beelzebub? Open it.” Lucifer orders, narrowing his eyes at his brother. 

Beel sighs and opens the closet, this his and Lily’s surprise and great relief. The closet is empty. 

“Hmmm.” Lucifer hums and then does a quick check around the rest of the room. 

“Well, it seems you really aren’t hiding a puppy in here. I guess it was only a rumor then. All right, that wraps up my inspection. Both of you make sure to go to bed early.” he tells them and leaves without delay, not wanting to waste any more of his time. Beel and Lily both sag with relief. 

“Luke disappeared. Weird...I know I pushed him into the closet a minute ago. What’s going on?” Beel wonders aloud. Lily doesn’t know what to say. 

“Well we can’t figure it out right now or someone will catch us.” he decides. “Let’s get some rest for now.”

“Are you sure?” Lily asks him. “What if he’s in trouble?” 

“He’ll be fine.” Beelzebub assures her in his nonchalant way.

Later that evening when they are sure everyone else is asleep they search the first floor but don’t find him anywhere. They risk calling his D.D.D. but there’s no answer. Eventually they give up and go to bed. Lily is very worried for her angelic friend and barely manages a wink of sleep. 

**_20 hours later…_ **

_ Lily and Beel had been very hopeful that Luke had somehow gotten back to Purgatory Hall and that he’d have a wild story for them when they saw him at school but of course he never showed up. After Simeon showed up and asked them to take good care of Luke they had left classes early to go back to the House of Lamentation to scour the place for him.  _

_ After hours of searching they had not found Luke but they did find a secret room. It turned out to be a replica of Lilith’s room from the Celestial Realm and Beel had just finished telling Lily the saddest story about how she had died and how Beelzebub blames himself.  _

Lily is overwhelmed by Beelzebub’s story. She wants to wrap her arms around the giant demon and soothe away his guilt and grief but she knows that it’s an impossible want. Her heart feels heavy with sorrow. 

Beelzebub has just asked her a question but she doesn’t get a chance to answer when her D.D.D. begins ringing. 

Answering with a shaky hello, Mammon’s loud voice blares through the phone at her. 

“HEY! Lily...where are you?! Something seriously bad is about to happen here! Are you with Beel? You both need to get your butts down to the underground tomb now! Hurry! The dog is down here, and Lucifer’s about to kill him..!”

“The dog? Does he mean Luke?” Beelzebub asks in alarm, having no issue hearing Mammon on the other end. Lily doubts very much that they would be worried about Cerberus and Luke is the only one she knows that they refer to as a dog. 

“Come on, we’d better get to the underground tomb.” Beelzebub tells her, picking her up so that he can run there at his top speed. 

When they arrive Lucifer is in a demonic rage, worse than any Lily has ever seen. If she had time to dwell on that she probably would have been frightened out of her mind but all she could focus on was Luke. Looking so small and frightened as he did his best not to cower as he clutched an ancient looking book to his chest as if his life depended on it. 

Beelzebub set Lily down, no one had noticed them arrive yet. Mammon was trying to talk Lucifer down as he questioned Luke about the grimoire he was holding onto. 

“What’s a grimoire? Isn’t that a spell book?” Lily whispers to Beel, she remembers reading about them but who knows if what she’s read is anywhere close to reality. 

“The grimoire Luke is holding has the power to control a demon - to make him do anything, even if it's in violation of a pact. Everything that we are rides on that book. We can never allow it to be stolen under any circumstances. I didn’t realize Lucifer was hiding it here in the underground tomb.” Beelzebub explains, looking pale and drawing Mammon’s attention. 

“This is no time to be standing around lost in thought, Beel! Get with the program!” Mammon orders Beelzebub in a way Lily has never seen before. Beelzebub nods and moves closer to Luke. 

“Now listen up, dog! What I wanna know is how you ended up lost in a place like this! No one else but us has access to this place! So how’d you get here?!” Mammon asks Luke in a commanding tone. 

“I-I don’t know! Y-Your guess is as good as mine! I tumbled down out of the closet in Beelzebub’s room and found myself here! And then -” Luke stammers out an explanation, never taking his eyes off the biggest threat in the room, Lucifer. 

“Wait. Beelzebub’s room..? Did I hear that correctly? Did you just say the words Beelzebub’s room?” Lucifer’s eyes flash as he focuses on Beelzebub standing next to Luke. 

“uh-oh, this is bad!” Mammon mutters looking more worried now. 

“BEELZEBUB!” Lucifer roars, clearly unhinged. Lily can understand the importance of the grimoire but she can wrap her mind around how upset Lucifer is right now. It’s clearly a misunderstanding. As much as Luke says he hates demons, she doubts he has a malicious bone in his angelic body. 

“Were you hiding this angel in your room? Did you allow him access to the House of Lamentation? This angel who would try to steal that grimoire?” Lucifer grills Beelzebub while the fury builds in his eyes. 

“Y-you’ve got it all wrong! I wasn’t trying to steal it at -” Luke is shaking even more and the sight is really upsetting to Lily. 

“This ain’t no time to be makin’ excuses! Once Lucifer flips out, it’s no use tryin’ to stop him! I mean there’s one guy who could do it, but -” Mammon seems to be bracing himself but Lily doesn’t know what his intentions are.

“You two had better be ready to face the consequences!” Lucifer tells them. Lily is quickly glancing around, Mammon and Beel have expressions that make Lily think they are just going to let Lucifer take them out without a fight. Without thinking Lily leaps in front of Beelzebub and Luke. Her arms spread wide, knowing she’s useless against such power but hoping to at least snap Lucifer out of whatever this is.

“Lily!” Mammon shouts, reaching for her. 

“No!” she commands Mammon so he doesn’t drag her out of harm's way. 

"Out of the way, human! Or do you want to die here?!” Lucifer yells at her, clearly enraged but at least she’s bought them some time. 

_ I can’t give in to my fear, I have to protect them. _ Lily tells herself, trying not to wilt under Lucifer’s menacing gaze. 

“Stop it, Lily!” Beelzebub almost sounds as if he’s pleading. But she shakes her head, not taking her eyes off of Lucifer, not breaking away from his eyes. 

“C’mon, this is serious! He’s gonna kill you for real!” Mammon yells in a panic, she doesn’t look to see the tears welling in his eyes as he uselessly struggles against her command. 

“A human risking so much to defend a demon and an angel...how very interesting. Well, if you want to be a hero, you’re going to have to choose one of them to save. Beelzebub or Luke.” He tells her with a sadistic grin. His rage hasn’t lessened at all though. She shakes her head stubbornly. 

“It’s one or the other. Make your choice!” Lucifer growls, advancing a step towards them. 

“No, I want to save both.” Lily responds stubbornly, keeping her voice even despite the fear she feels. 

“Lily..” Luke practically weeps beside her. Beelzebub looks lost in painful memories of the past. 

“What’s that now? You want to save both? Do you actually think I’m going to allow a lowly human that choice?! That you can have whatever it is you WANT?! NO…!” Lily seems to have only amplified Lucifer’s rage as his black demonic aura swirls around him, building an oppressive pressure around them. Lily feels as if the air is being forced from her lungs and that’s the last thing she remembers before her world falls to darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to have a little gap between these events and the retreat at the Castle. If there are any Devilgrams or chats you'd like to see in this story let me know (it just needs to make sense to happen at this point in the timeline)
> 
> As always, Thank you so much for reading.


	24. The Third Pact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily makes a pact with Beelzebub

Beelzebub returns to his room, holding take out bags that are mostly empty now. Nothing has changed since Mammon had carried the unconscious form of Lily and laid her gently down on his bed. He watches, that familiar twinge of guilt in his gut makes him hungry all over again. Mammon sits in a chair at Lily’s side, his head hangs low, pressed into his hands. 

“Lily….come back to me…” Mammon whispers so softly that Beelzebub can barely hear him. 

“You should eat and rest…” Beel tells his older brother, feeling as if he’s awkwardly interrupting a private moment. “I’ll call you as soon as she wakes up..” he offers a small bag of food to Mammon.

Mammon’s cheeks color, he opens his mouth, a protest on his tongue. Instead, his shoulders sag and he lets out a long breath. He nods once, accepting the food before leaving Beel’s room. 

Beel digs out some of his secret stash of snacks, he doesn’t want to accidentally eat the food that he’s brought back for Lily. He takes Mammon’s place in the chair at her side. Worry and guilt gnaw at his guts and he tries to make it go away with some spicy newt flavored chips. _When did he start to care for this little human?_ He wonders to himself. He barely knows her yet he finds himself feeling dismayed at the thought of her never waking up. 

It’s not much longer when Lily opens her eyes to the familiar reddish glow around Beelzebub’s bed. _How did I get here?_ She wonders. 

“Lily..you’re awake. I’ve been here watching you, I thought you might never wake up, since humans are so fragile and all. I’m really glad you’re awake again.” she turns her head to see Beelzebub wiping away crumbs from his mouth. 

“Do you remember what happened? You made Lucifer really mad when you stepped in to protect Luke and me. You almost got yourself killed. If Lord Diavolo hadn’t come running up, you’d be dead right now, you know.” Beelzebub tells her with a serious expression. The events of the underground tomb coming back to her now.

“Lord Diavolo managed to stop Lucifer.. You saw how Lucifer looked back then, and yet you stepped in front of me and spread your arms to block him. It was like you had a death wish. You need to go to Lord Diavolo and thank him for saving your life.” he tells her. She nods and tries to sit up but feels too dizzy at first. Beelzebub leans forward and helps her. Lily gives him a smile of thanks. 

“Is Luke okay?” she asks, noting that the little angel isn’t with them. 

“Don’t worry. He’s fine. Simeon came and took him back to Purgatory Hall. He was pretty shaken up after what he experienced.” Beelzebub tells her and she nods, it wasn’t a very nice experience after all.

“What about you Beelzebub?” she asks next. 

Beelzebub frowns. “I wasn’t hurt at all. But is this really the time to be worrying about us? You almost died, you know. A human stepping in to shield a demon and angel from harm. I’ve never even heard of anything like that before.” he shakes his head. 

“Where is Mammon?” She asks, ignoring Beelzebub’s statement. She can remember the look on his face when she commanded him to stop. 

“He was here watching you until a while ago. I think he was worried about you...in his own sort of way, that is…” Beelzebub trails off, thinking about the way Mammon had been acting. 

Lily nods, she’d have to talk to him later too. “I’m sorry if I worried you.” she says, her voice still feeling tight. 

Beelzebub shakes his head, another frown forming. “I’m the one to blame here. I’m the one who hid Luke in my room, I’m the reason he disappeared, I’m the one who failed to calm Lucifer down and ended up putting you in danger. All of that was my fault.”

“It’s not -” Lily tries to tell him. She doesn’t like the way Beelzbub tries to take all the blame. Especially when it comes to Lucifer. He is the eldest and no one should be responsible for his actions other than himself. 

“When you stepped in to shield me from Lucifer, I was pretty shocked. I mean, why would you go to those lengths? You’re not a demon or an angel, and you’re not even someone with powerful magic. You’re just a regular human. So why...why did you try to protect Luke and me?” Beelzebub asks her before she can finish her thought. 

Lily blinks at him, slightly blindsided by his question. Why did she do it? It sounds pretty ridiculous when he puts it that way. Finally she shrugs. “I didn’t think too much. It was a reflex I suppose…”

“Ahh. So I guess that’s just the sort of person you are.” Beelzebub nods. 

Lily shrugs. She doesn’t know anything about that. “I suppose I realize now that you and Luke are...special to me.” she finally says, blushing a bit. She’s not sure if that’s the right word to use but she hates the thought of anything happening to them. 

Beelzebub looks surprised before he smiles. “I think I feel that way too,” he admits. 

Then another guilty look comes over his face as he says, “As I watched you there sleeping, as I looked at your face, I couldn’t help wondering..if the situation had been reversed, would I have stepped in to defend you? I want to do something to make it up to you - to thank you for saving me. So, is there anything I can do?”

The question surprises Lily. These demons are always keeping her on her toes, that’s for sure. She mulls over his words and everything that has gone on so far. She’s risking a lot to go against Lucifer but when she looks at Beelzebub she doesn’t just see a gluttonous demon anymore. She sees a friend, one that is hurting deeper than she could ever understand. She closes her eyes for a moment, understanding that after this next step there really will be no going back. 

Beelzebub was beginning to think that Lily must be more damaged than he thought when she spaces off, not answering his questions. When she finally locks eyes on him, her eyes blazing with determination, he is somewhat taken aback when she says. 

“I want you to make a pact with me Beelzebub.”

He frowns. Lily seems like an innocent girl but she’s made pacts with two of his brother’s now and that’s already unprecedented. 

“I want to know why you want to make a pact with me. Let’s hear it.” he tells her. 

Once again Lily takes her time in answering. She has to be careful, as much as her heart wants to tell Beelzebub all about his brother in the attic something inside stops her each time she’s about ready to blurt it out. 

“Well I suppose there are many reasons….” Lily begins carefully, she won’t lie to him, she just can’t tell him the whole truth. “For practical reasons, I know I’m safer the more pacts I have with the demons I’ve been forced to live with..no offence.” she adds with a smile and Beelzebub nods in understanding. “And I suppose you could say..I want Lucifer to respect me.”

Beelzebub frowns, “You want Lucifer to respect you? Why?” he doesn’t tell Lily, but he can’t imagine Lucifer ever coming to respect a human. 

“Well if he respects me, maybe I can help him make up with Belphegor.” she tells him. 

“So by making pacts with us you’re hoping to impress Lucifer? So that he’ll consider you someone worth listening to despite the fact that you’re a human? You want to do what Solomon hasn’t been able to accomplish?” Beelzebub sounds incredulous and Lily tries not to take it personally. It does sound impossible when put into words like that. 

“Why do you care? That’s what I don’t get.” he adds. Why would this human care about his family?

Lily sighs. “To be honest Beelzebub...I don’t completely understand it myself...It’s just a feeling..like it's something I should do, that I need to do…” she tries to grasp for the right words. “I know what it’s like to be parted from those you love...but you don’t need to be. No family deserves to be broken, even if you are demons.” she says with a small smile. 

Beelzebub considers her words for a moment. He still can’t believe a human would want to go that far for him, for his family but something about it feels right. As if it was always meant to be this way. “Alright. I feel the same way. I want Belphegor and Lucifer to make up too. So I’ll do it. I’ll make a pact with you, Lily.”

Lily smiled brightly. “Can you stand?” he asks her. 

“I think so.” she says as she swings her legs over the side and stands up feeling only a little unbalanced. 

Beelzebub kneels in front of her, but he’s so tall that his eyes are level with her breasts. “What are you doing?” she asks, suddenly feeling nervous. 

He glances up, meeting her eyes. “Making our pact.” he answers, shoving her shirt up to rest on her chest, revealing her stomach to him. 

“Um -” Lily is about to protest, her other pacts didn’t quite feel so intimate. Beelzebub's fingers dance over her skin. 

“The mark of gluttony goes over the stomach of course.” he tells her, oblivious to her discomfort. “I don’t feel any gluttonous desires from you...but….I have a good feeling about you. A gut feeling, you could say.” he chuckles a bit, circling her belly button with a large calloused finger. It tickles and Lily can’t help squirming a bit. Too nervous to laugh. 

Like the others, Beelzebub bites his finger and traces his symbol over her stomach just above her belly button. “I am Beelzebub the Famished, the Avatar of Gluttony. With my blood I pledge my service, let no being, mighty or small, sunder this unbreakable bond. Let the denizens of darkness witness my oath and make it so.”

Beelzebub watched as his sigil glowed red before disappearing into her soft skin. Lily couldn’t see it this time but she felt it even stronger than she had with Leviathan. They both let out a small gasp as the pact latches onto their souls, tying them together. Beel looked up at Lily in wonder, it had been a very long time since he’d made a pact with a human and it had never felt like this. It took him back to the Ceremony of Souls in the Celestial Realm. When he and Belphie had been assigned to Lucifer’s house, they stood there with their family for the first time and knew they were home, that they belonged. 

Lily and Beel were momentarily entranced by the strength of the pact, not only did Lily feel her connection to Beel but she felt her connection to Mammon and Levi all the stronger as well. Beelzebub, in awe, pressed a chaste kiss over his invisible pact mark bringing it flaring to life once more.

Lily didn't have time to be embarrassed as the door flung open causing her to jump in alarm as Mammon burst into the room. “Oi! What are ya doin’ with my human?!” Mammon’s eyes look like they are about to burst from his skull when he sees his younger brother pulling his lips away from Lily’s stomach. The peaceful look has all but drained away from Beels face as he looks at Mammon with annoyance. 

With his demonic speed, Mammon has rushed over, pulled Lily’s shirt back down and moved her across the room, away from Beel. “Ya said ya’d call me as soon as she woke up! Not make a pact with her!” Mammon shouts, silently cursing himself for ever leaving his human with Beel in the first place.

“And you!” Mammon rounds on Lily. “How in the Devildom am I supposed to keep ya safe when ya go pullin’ stunts like that all the time? Huh? What was that about!? Ya got a death wish I swear!” he growls. He’s so happy to see her up and awake and so angry that she makes him feel all these things he doesn’t want to feel. Angry that she’s made another pact and he has to share her with another brother. He hates sharing!

“I’m sorry for worrying you Mammon.” she tells him sincerely, her face serious. Placing a tentative hand on his arm. 

Mammon’s cheek flush with heat. “Wha?! I wasn’t worried! I don’t get worried over insignificant humans like you!” he shouts. “Tch! You’re such a pain, a damn nuisance.” he says as he storms out of the room in a huff. 

Lily blinks as she watches the demon flee the room. _Why is he like that?_ She wonders to herself, jumping slightly when Beel’s large hand lands on her shoulder giving it a little sleeve. “Ignore him.” he advises her.

“You’re hungry.” he tells her and she blushes when her stomach suddenly and loudly agrees with him. He picks up the take out bag and blushes when he realizes that somewhere along the way he did eat her food. “Rest. I’ll find you something.” he tells her before rushing out. Lily nods and gets back into bed, thinking that she’ll be lucky if he brings her more than a half eaten roll. 

Not long after Beel left the room, Levi pokes his head in, deciding to enter when he sees that Lily is alone. “Lily?” he whispers, but there’s no answer because she’s fallen asleep again.

Shuffling up to her bedside he watches her sleep. He can sense Beelzebub’s new pact mark on her tummy. Jealousy churns inside him. _If only she could be his alone._ He doesn’t want to share her anymore than Mammon does. He retreats back to the confines and comfort of his own room before anyone sees him there. 

**_Meanwhile in Lucifer’s Study_ **

  
  


Diavolo sits in Lucifer’s chair, watching his old friend silently. A worried expression replaces his usual jovial smile. Lucifer stands in front of the fireplace, facing away from Diavolo as he stares at the fire. His posture is rigid. 

“I’m sorry, Diavolo..” he begins, his voice terse. “I was so blinded by rage that I lost control of myself. If I’d actually attacked Lily, then the entire exchange program would’ve ended in disaster. I’m grateful you showed up to stop me. Thank you.”

Diavolo wouldn’t have accepted an apology from any other demon whose back was turned to him, but he knew how much apologies cost his old friend. “...Well, it was an understandable reaction on your part. As demons, everything that we are rides on that grimoire. If it had been stolen, that would have been a disaster as well.”

Diavolo tries to reason with Lucifer. “You were trying to protect your brothers, weren’t you?” After all these years Lucifer has held his family together, Diavolo knows there is nothing that is more important to him. A fact that often makes him jealous, after all would his old friend give him half the loyalty he does now if it weren't for the circumstances that brought him here?

“Perhaps. But I nearly ended up losing one of them in the process...Beel..” Lucifer sighs, a rare moment of unguarded pain flashes across his features as he turns to face Lord Diavolo.

“I know how important your brothers are to you, Lucifer. How much you care. And if they can see that as well - if they understand it - then that’s a good thing. However…” Diavolo trails off as he watches Lucifer become rigid once more. 

“You said something to Lily back there. _Do you actually think I’m going to allow a lowly human that choice?! That you can have whatever it is you WANT?!”_ Diavolo pauses, assessing Lucifer before he continues. 

“I wonder, who is it that REALLY isn’t being given choices here? Who is it that’s suffering from a lack of options? ….what do you think, Lucifer?” 

Lucifer won’t answer, his jaw clenched as he turns back to the fire. Diavolo sighs, his attempts to get Lucifer to open up to him rarely work. He stands and pauses by his old friend, resting a firm hand on Lucifer’s shoulder he can feel his muscles go taunt beneath his touch. “Despite the fact that you see little value in humans, your support in this is invaluable...Give the human a chance.” he encourages Lucifer, giving his shoulder one squeeze before he releases him and leaves the House of Lamentation. 

As Lord Diavolo is leaving he sees Mammon storming down the hallway muttering to himself about his human making more pacts. _Hmm. Interesting. I better give Lucifer some work away from home for a couple days._ He thinks to himself, humming a little tune as he leaves. 

Inside the study Lucifer sits down at his desk and begins to rub his temples. _Lord Diavolo could never understand, no one can._ He thinks to himself ruefully. He hadn’t just come close to attacking his own brother, he’d been purposefully cruel to him. 

That ridiculous girl, she had looked up at him with those wide innocent eyes. So much foolish bravery. Her expressions...the way she holds herself. It all haunted him, as if the ghost of his sister lived inside her. He’d asked her to choose, when he knew Beelzebub had been in that impossible place before..to choose. The look on Beelzebub’s face….and then she had still defied him even with the height of his rage bearing down on her. 

She was truly an enigma, one he might enjoy unraveling if he wasn’t in the midst of keeping his own family from unraveling for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have one more finished chapter to post before I start working on some filler content to fill the space between now and the Castle retreat. I wanted there to be a bit more space between each pact. 
> 
> I'll be doing the scene where Beel takes MC to dinner and Mammon and Levi tag along, as well as their last night together sharing a room. 
> 
> Then I'll probably give Lily some one-on-one time with each brother. Let me know if you have any ideas you'd like to see, especially if they come from a particular chat or Devilgram that would fit at this stage of the story.


	25. One Person’s Prison Is Another’s Refuge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer apologizes..sorta. Lily spends time with Belphegor.

The next morning everything is tense again at the table. Everyone is eating silently until Asmodeus begins gossiping in a hushed voice with Satan, eventually causing Mammon to explode. Lucifer just ignores them and lets the chaos ensue. Levi is wrapped up in his phone and Beelzebub is inhaling his food even faster than usual. 

Not wanting to be here any longer she stands to leave but Lucifer stands at the same time and tells her before he leaves, “Lily. Would you come see me in the music room before heading to class? I’ll be there waiting for you.”

The table falls silent for a moment, three of the demons are looking at Lily nervously. 

“Ooh, Lucifer wants to see Lily? Yikes! Super scary!” he says in a mocking manner.

“Pff. Careful Asmodeus. He might hear you.” Satan cautions with a chuckle. 

“Would ya two shut yer freakin’ mouths!” Mammon begins yelling at them again. 

Lily sees that Beelzebub has started eating even more, she locks eyes with Levi. “Will you walk with me?” she asks him quietly, not quite up to facing Lucifer on her own after last night. 

Leviathan nods and silently walks with her a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Inside he’s beaming that she asked him and not Mammon or Beel. He’s also worried about what Lucifer might say or do to punish her for what happened last night. 

“Alright...This is as far as I can go with you. I’m afraid.” he tells her outside the music room. “Now don’t you die on me, okay? There’s a DVD set I still need to lend you, it’s called Digital Deviance: The Story of an Unemployed Gamer who Made the Perfect In-Game Girlfriend...and the Nightmare that ensues when his cousin finds out that it looks just like her. You’ve got to watch all 20 volumes.” he insists, but his usual grin when he tells her about such things is absent.

Lily can’t help a small giggle anyway, making her feel a little better, a little braver. “Okay, I’ll do my best.” she salutes him. 

Lily enters the music room to find Lucifer standing next to the piano. He turns to face her when she enters. “Ah, you’re here. I assume you know what it is I want to talk to you about. It’s regarding last night.”

Lily braces herself for the oncoming lecture, or perhaps to sprint from the room for her life. Instead, what he says next has her gaping in disbelief. 

“What I did to you was inexcusable. I apologize.” Lucifer sighs when he sees Lily looking at him like a fish out of water. “However, there’s one thing I want to make absolutely clear. As long as they consent to it, I have no problem with you making pacts with my brothers. However, your curiosity is getting the better of you. I want you to stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. I believed I warned you not to climb the stairs leading up to the attic. And yet you did exactly that. I’m the only demon able to go up there. There’s a spell cast on the stairs that ensures that. If you tell anyone...well let’s just say the consequences will be severe.” he tells her as he walks up to her and tips her chin up so that she’s looking directly into his crimson eyes. 

“I know everything that happens inside these walls. You’re out of your element and the attic is a dangerous place for you.” he releases her chin and turns his back on her. 

“If you behave yourself, you’ll complete your year here in the exchange program, At which point, we’ll return you to the human world. I imagine that last night served as somewhat of a learning experience for you. Still, the fact remains that I put you through a very scary experience. Sometime in the near future, I’d like to treat you to a meal out somewhere to make it up to you.” he concludes, once again leaving Lily’s mind reeling. 

Turning around once more, he looks her over, “Well, that’s all I had to say. You’re free to go.” 

Lily all but runs out of the music room to find that everyone has gone on to class without her. She grabs her book bag from her room, willing her heart to stop racing. These damn demons were going to drive her insane.  _ What sort of horrible apology was that?!  _ She thinks to herself. 

She exits the house to find Karasu waiting for her in humanoid form.

“Heya killer.” Karasu greets her with a wide grin, slinging an arm around her. “Boss told me to walk you to class,” he explains. Lily smiles, glad to know she wasn’t completely abandoned. “Ya know I haven’t seen him so wound up in a long time kid. Not too happy about that new pact I suspect.”

Lily just shrugs. She’s too preoccupied with what Lucifer said to her.  _ So he knows I spoke to Belphegor.  _ She thinks to herself.  _ But he didn’t order me to never see him again, he just implied that he would know and that it’s dangerous… _ Lily wonders what sort of game she’s caught up in exactly. Both demons want something out of this. Who should she trust? 

“The only one I can trust for now is myself.” she says aloud, forgetting that Karasu was walking with her. 

“What?” Karasu looks at her oddly. 

“Thanks for walking me to RAD.” Lily tells him, smiling brightly as she pushes her worries away for another time. 

Karasu chuckles, “Are all humans as odd as you?” to which Lily has no response. 

As the RAD campus entrance comes into view, Karasu releases Lily. “Knock ‘em dead kid.” he says before transforming back into a bird and flying off. Lily waves him off before rushing inside. She finds Mammon in the others in the Assembly Hall. 

“Hey, how about that! Lily, you’re alive!” Mammon teases her.

Beel looks her over. “Let’s see.. Yep you’ve still got both arms and both legs. Your eyes are still in their sockets, and your ears are still attached. Guess you’re okay.” he grins. Lily rolls her eyes.

“I want to know what Lucifer did. You’ve got to give me the deets, L-8_R ,yo!” Levi chimes in. 

“Man there you go again.  _ ‘Give me the deets, L8R, yo?’ _ Like what lame message board did ya learn THAT on?! Also, it’s one thing to type L8R but who the hell actually says it outloud?!” Mammon complains, giving Leviathan a disapproving look. 

“Whaaat, you’re still alive? Well that’s boring..” Asmodeus laughs as he enters the Assembly Hall with Satan. 

“Of course. Unless he went crazy again like last night, Lucifer wouldn’t harm Lily. And do you know what that is, Lily?” Satan directs his question her way. 

“Because I’m an exchange student.” Lily replies, already getting tired of Satan and Asmodeus this morning. 

“Exactly, I see you have a good grasp of what’s going on here. If anything were to happen to one of our exchange students, it would make Lord Diavolo look bad. Lucifer would never do anything to harm Lord Diavolo’s reputation.” Satan tells her with a smug grin. _ Yeah Satan, tell me something I don’t know.  _ Lily keeps these thoughts to herself and just smiles at him benignly instead. 

“Ooh...speak of the devil! Lord Diavolo and Lucifer just showed up.” Asmodeus announces for them. Sure enough they walk in, soon followed by Simeon, Luke and Solomon. Lily gives Luke a little smile and wave which he returns with red cheeks. 

“Well, it seems that everyone’s here. Shall we get started, Lucifer?” Diavolo announces. 

“All right, I’m going to go ahead and call this officer’s meeting to order. To start things off, Lord Diavolo has an announcement for us.” Lucifer begins. 

“Yes. Well then I assume that some of you have already heard the rumors about the group retreat. And they’re true. I’m planning an exchange party between demons, angels and humans to be held at my caste. I have a feeling that this will turn out to be quite the interesting experience for all of us. This will happen in nine days. I’d like to ask the humans and angels to think of something from your culture to share at the retreat. That is all.” Lord Diavolo finishes with a grin. 

Lily sighs, she and the rest of the exchange students are excused to classes for the remainder of the student council meeting. She could barely believe that Lord Diavolo was acting as if nothing had happened and to top it off he wanted to have a retreat? Did things ever slow down here? She wonders.

Solomon’s finger prodding her in the stomach breaks her out of her thoughts. “Another pact Lily?” his eyes sparkle as he regards her with an unreadable expression. “Someday you’re going to have to sit down and tell me your secrets.”

Lily grins. “I’m not the wizard with 72 pacts.” she teases him. 

*ahem* “Sorcerer” he corrects her.

“Whatever you say H.P.” Solomon is about to say something else when Luke comes rushing up, crushing Lily in his embrace. 

“Lily! You silly girl! I was so worried about you!” he tells her, pulling away to look into her face. She’s not much taller than him so he doesn’t have to look up as far as he does for others. “You’re going to get yourself killed.” he lectures her. “You’re too sweet, too wonderful for this world. I’m going to put a complaint in to Michael. He’ll make Lord Diavolo send you home.” Luke is nodding to himself and this new plan he’s come up with. 

_ Home. _ Lily thinks to herself. She doesn’t even know where that is anymore. “Oh...but then I would miss you Luke.” she tells him with a smile. Luke blushes and casts his head down. “I’m really sorry I put you in harm's way Lily.” he says sadly his previous vigor falling away. “I never should have left Purgatory Hall, then it could have all been avoided.”

Lily smiles, at least she received one sincere apology today. Not that she needed nor expected one from Luke. “Please don’t be sorry Luke. I’m always happy to help a friend.” she says and gives him a kiss on his cheek. 

“I told you Simeon. She’s an angel.” he declares, blushing furiously. 

Simeon chuckles. “Yes, well us angels best get to class before we’re tardy.” he says placing his hand on Luke and Lily’s backs gently guiding them down the hallway. Solomon stares after Lily with a curious expression. Lily glances back once to wave goodbye to him since they don’t share the first class of the day. 

By the time classes are over Lily is feeling exhausted, she doesn’t ever remember feeling so weary in her life.  _ Being in a constant state of fight or flight must be taking its toll on my body and mind, _ she thinks to herself sluggishly. 

At Lunch Beel sat with her and Mammon and Leviathan fought over who would sit on her other side, she’d never witnessed anything more ridiculous in her life. It was nice being wanted, she’d grown up going to school being the kid that always sat alone. Even so, it was too much. Too much noise, too much attention. Now they were walking home and she was trying to tune them out. Beel wanted her to workout with him, Levi wanted her to come to his room to play games and Mammon, well he just didn’t want her hanging out with them it would seem. 

“Oi! Human!” Mammon was suddenly in her path. 

“Huh?” Lily looks up at him. 

“Aren’t ya listening!?” Mammon shouts. 

Lily tries to recall what they are saying. “I think I’ll just study.” she answers. 

“Fine. Okay. I’ll make sure none of these knuckleheads come bother ya then.” Mammon says seemingly satisfied that she hasn’t chosen to do anything with Beel or Levi. 

As soon as they enter the House, Beel is off to workout and Mammon and Levi are fighting about something again. Lily decides what she really needs is some quiet time. It’s a risky move but Lucifer is working at the Castle late tonight so she decides to go where none of the other demons can follow. The attic. 

Lily ascends the stairs quietly, with any luck she won’t wake the Avatar of Sloth. Belphegor isn’t waiting for her when she tops the stairs. Letting out the breath she’s been holding she sits on the floor, her back resting against the wall as she begins to spread out her books and notes. Trying to decide which class to work on first. 

Lily was so absorbed in her studies that she didn’t realize when Belphegor had woken up and shuffled over to the door. “What are you doing, human?” he asks, yawning loudly. 

Letting out a little gasp of surprise she looks up at the Demon peering at her through his prison door. Belphegor looks bored as he stares at the human who just blinks at him with wide eyes.

“I - I’m studying.” she finally replies. There’s something about him that both attracts and repels her, making her feel uneasy. 

Belphegor snorts and rolls his eyes as he shuffles back to his bed. Lily watches him go, thinking that he’s going back to sleep. However he just grabs a peculiar cow printed pillow and a blanket and shuffles back to the door. Lily watches as he proceeds to curl up on the floor next to the door, facing her. 

“You made a pact with Beel.” he states, looking at her apathetically. 

Lily was about to ask how he knew, but he cut her off as she opened her mouth.

“You didn’t strike me as the type of person who would come through for me, so I didn’t really have my hopes up honestly...But you seem to have actually gained their trust, as surprising as that is. You’ve managed to make pacts with Mammon, Levi and Beel now...Finally, you’re halfway to your goal.” she watches as he gives her an assessing gaze. 

The other demon brothers are much easier to read, even Satan with his genial mask has tells to his true mood. Belphegor she finds very difficult to read. She wonders if this is the reason she feels so uneasy with him. Regardless, Lily isn’t very impressed with Belphegor’s little speech as she turns back to her studies. Sighing as she tries to find her place. 

“Hey…” Belphegor frowns and calls for her attention. “Human...Lily!”

Lily looks up once more. “Well..what else do you have to report? What did Lucifer say about the room up here in the attic?”

Lily shrugs. For some reason she doesn’t particularly feel like sharing everything with him. “Not much. Stay away...death threats and all that.” she mutters and turns back to her notes.

Belphegor snorts. “Well you’re risking a lot...coming up here to what? Study?” 

Lily shrugs once more, not taking her eyes off her notes this time as she scribbles something in the margin. “It’s the only place where your brother’s can't follow.” 

That earns her a smile that she doesn’t see. “My brothers are quite obnoxious aren’t they? I can’t really stand most of them.” he admits. “Except for Beel of course.”

Lily continues to study her notes as Belphegor falls silent, thinking about her exchange with Lucifer. “I think Lucifer allowed you up here because he didn’t think you’d be able to see this room...and then once he realized you could…” he chuckles to himself. Lily looks up at him with a blank expression. 

“I’ve learned something else, namely that you’re not just any ordinary exchange student. I suspected as much. There’s a reason you were chosen to come here. Out of all the humans he could have picked, why did Diavolo choose you?” Belphegor looks Lily over as if he could discern all her secrets this way. 

Lily shrugs, her blank face is a match for his apathetic one. She thinks about the way she arrived here, her father, his research..the mysterious bank account..why was she chosen?

Belphegor sighs. “If you’re going to stay and keep me awake, then you could at least entertain me. I’m dying of boredom you know.”

Lily softens a bit. He is the Avatar of Sloth but she can’t imagine being locked up like that. She’d have gone mad already, she’s sure of it. Giving up on her studies for the moment she gives him her attention. “Tell me how you made your pact with my twin.” he tells hers. 

She indulges him, telling him about Luke and what happened with Lucifer. She leaves out the part where she told Beelzebub her reasons for wanting the pact. “Wait,” Belphegor interrupts her. “Why are you sleeping in our room?” he wants to know, his eyes flashing with animosity. It’s there and gone so quickly Lily can’t be sure she even saw it. 

So she tells him about the infamous custard incident that left her room in shambles. Belphegor chuckles a bit. “That sounds like Beel.” Lily thinks that Belpegor’s smile is nice.  _ I want to see him smile more.  _ The thought comes unbidden, surprising herself. 

“You’re not sleeping in my bed are you?” he asks suspiciously, his smile turning into a frown. Lily shakes her head, his mood lost on her as she thinks about his twin. 

“He insists I sleep in his, I had to share the bed with Luke.” she tells him. “He won’t even sleep in your bed.” she tells him sadly.

“I think….he’s worried if someone else sleeps there...that he’ll never see you again.” Lily admits her thoughts to Belphegor. His face is slack, expressionless but Lily thinks she can see pain in his eyes. 

“Yeah.” he yawns. “That sounds like Beel too.”

Wanting to change the subject, she tells him all about the camping trip. This story seems to peak his interest the most. 

“The way you describe it...I almost wish I was there. Almost.” he tells her, giving her another appraising look. “There’s definitely more to you than meets the eye.”

Lily shrugs, she doesn’t feel so mysterious. “And after all that happens. Diavolo announced there’s going to be a retreat at the Castle soon.” she laments. “I don’t think I can handle it to be honest.” she finds herself opening up to the imprisoned demon. 

Belphegor sits up. “A retreat at the Castle? No this is perfect.” he tells her, a glint in his eye. “You can work on your relationships with Asmodeus and Satan...and you can look around the Castle, see if you can find any clues as to why you were chosen for this program.” he tells her in that superior tone he gets with her when he wants her to do something. 

Lily huffs. “I’m not sure how to go about getting closer to those two…” she tells him. She’s made a fragile truce with Asmodeus but the Avatar of Wrath seems, well not like an easy person to get close to.

“That’s easy.” Belphegor scoffs. “Just pretend to be smart, stick your nose in a book and you’ll get Satan’s notice.” he tells her and she tries not to get offended. Turning his face to her he raises his eyebrows. “As for Asmodeus...you could give him your virginity.” he smiles smugly.

Lily blushes furiously. Silently she fumes, she’s not ashamed of being a virgin but she doesn’t like these demons talking about her in this way. She begins packing up her things, not wanting to spend any more time with the Avatar of Sloth. 

“Where are you going?” he asks. Without answering she flees down the stairs. 

Belphegor rolls his eyes and makes his way back to bed. “Humans..pathetic.” he grumbles.


	26. Brother's Under A Pact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily spends one last night with Beel.

The next evening Beelzebub takes Lily out to Hell’s Kitchen. Ever since the incident at Restaurant Six, they had take-out or had their meals at the RAD cafeteria. He told Lily he wanted to treat her tonight to celebrate their pact and common goal. The lively atmosphere of Hell’s Kitchen was much different than Restaurant Six and Lily finds she prefers a more casual pace.

“Have anything off the menu you want, Lily.” Beel tells her. “You said that the only thing you wanted was to make a pact with me, but I don’t feel like that’s enough. So order whatever you want. Anything at all.” he smiles down at her. 

“Right, don’t mind if I do! Time to order big...real big!” Mammon rubs his hands together, looking as if he’s won the jackpot. 

“Ooh, they have food from the human world..! Like this here. This is what Minoka ate in Help! I’m an Evil Overlord! - How Discovering That My Classmate Was a Witch Set me on a Course to Become Supreme Ruler of Another Dimension. They actually have it here…!” Lily doesn’t know about all that but she’s excited to hear that they have human world food as she scans the menu for something she can recognize. 

“I said I was taking Lily out to eat, not you guys. So, why are you two here?” Beel looks up from his menu with frown. 

“Hey, come on. What’s the harm in havin’ us tag along, huh? Don’t be such a killjoy!” Mammon laughs. 

“Order first, we should. Talk later, we can.” Levi says in a strange tone.

“Just so we’re clear. I’m not paying for either of you guys.” Beel glares. 

“Now come on, Beel. Even if there were ten of us here with you, we still wouldn’t be able to eat as much as you do on your own. Payin’ for us won’t set ya back that much.” Mammon argues.

“It’s not about the money. But I’m still not paying.” Beel insists. 

“Begin by ordering drinks, I will.” Levi continues, in his own world. 

“You turnin’ into one of your 2D characters again, Levi?” Mammon asks in an exasperated tone, obviously put out that he hasn’t convinced his brother to pay for his meal.

When the waiter comes back, Lily is pleased to order a normal human world cheeseburger with fries and a strawberry milkshake. Beel orders the same, except he orders ten to start. Mammon orders conservatively since he’s paying for his own meal. 

“I has cheezburger too, I will.” Levi orders in a way that has everyone looking at him strangely. Lily covers a giggle with her hand. 

While they wait for the food to arrive, Mammon finally asks why Beel agreed to make a pact with Lily. 

“...Mmm, interesting. So you’re hopin’ to get Lucifer and Belphie to make up, huh?” Mammon says after they have explained it to him. 

“And that’s why you decided you’d make a pact with Lily, Beel?” Levi asks in his normal voice.

“Well, that’s not the only reason, but yeah, we both want the same thing.” Beel answers between a large slurp of his milkshake. 

“Lily, do ya really think you can do this? I mean, we’re talking about Lucifer here.” Mammon says as he steals another french fry off of her plate. She realizes why he orders so conservatively as he proceeds to steal food from both her and Levi’s plate when he can. 

Lily thinks about Lucifer’s face, the way he looked at her as he delivered his strange apology threat. She shudders. Maybe it is an impossible task. But she looks at Beel and sees a spark of hope in his eyes and those eyes remind her of the endless sadness in his twin. 

“I have to try.” she answers Mammon finally. 

“I’ve always thought it was impossible, so I gave up on trying. But if you never try, you’re guaranteed not to succeed, right?” Beel says after finishing up his tenth burger.

“If you ask me, there’s no chance this’ll work.” Mammon folds his arms.

Levi nods in a rare moment of agreement with his older brother. “This isn’t a game you can win.”

“This is a family issue that affects all of us brothers. But think about it, has anyone ever tried to solve it, whether it was us or anyone else? Who’s ever offered to help those two make up?” Beel says, not giving up. Lily smiles up at him. 

“No one I guess…” Mammon scratches his neck awkwardly. 

“Nope, nobody.” Levi agrees again.

“Sure, this might be impossible. We might end up giving up and accepting that it won’t happen. But we can at least give it a shot before deciding it can’t be done. It doesn’t hurt to try.” Beel insists, flagging down the waiter. 

Mammon is frowning but looking thoughtful. Levi looks to be looking for another argument. 

“...Well, now that ya put it that way, I guess I could help out. I mean, I can’t deny that this thing with Lucifer and Belphie affects all of us.” Mammon finally concedes, causing Lily to smile brightly at him. 

“...agreed.” Levi finally says, hoping that Lily will turn her radiant smile his way. He blushes a bit when she does.

“Then it’s settled.” Beel nods happily. The waiter has come back and Beel proceeds to order another ten burgers. Lily orders a second milkshake. Still feeling a bit hungry since Mammon ate at least half of her food.

Lily doesn’t mind the food theft. Mammon seems to have forgiven her for making a pact with Beel and she’s enjoying the warmth that radiates off of him. She never thought she could feel so happy and at home with a bunch of boys. Nevermind the fact that they are actually just ancient fallen angels who tended to act like teenagers rather than the formidable beings they are.

Mammon has his arm slung protectively around the back of Lily’s chair. As if he’s saying ‘ this human is mine.’ he didn’t appreciate some of the looks she’d received when they walked into Hell's Kitchen. Of course Lily herself was oblivious. When the waiter brings Lily’s milkshake, Mammon is quick to snatch it up, taking a long drag on the straw before handing it to her with a cheeky grin.

Lily shakes her head and is about to drink from her straw when Levi suddenly snatches it right out of her cup. “I-i-indirect k-kiss!” he blurts, blushing. Lily is feeling very confused. 

“K-Kiss?! Wha?! What are ya on about now?!” Mammon demands. 

Levi looks irritated as he crumples her straw and marches over to the counter to grab a new one, which he unwraps and angrily stabs into her milkwake. “I -I don’t want you to get stupidmammon germs.” he grumbles. 

Lily sighs as that launches Mammon and Levi into an argument. They ended up staying pretty late and even though the brothers had a squabble more than once, she had a fun night with them. When the bill came, she let Beel pay for her meal but she paid for Mammon and Levi’s meals. 

“Thanks Lily.” Levi had blushed. 

“Oi! Why didn’t ya tell me you were gonna do that earlier!?” Mammon demanded. “I would have ordered more!”

“Baka!” Levi’s eyes flashed and he hit Mammon on the back of the head. 

“Hey! Have some respect!” Mammon growls at Levi. 

Beel looks upset though. “Lily why did you do that? I’m meant to be treating you...not you treating them.” Lily can’t help smiling at the big guy as he pouts, she’s never seen him do that before. 

Feeling bold and full of happiness, she stands up and gives Beel a little kiss on his cheek after wiping away some crumbs that had been left there.. “You did. Thank you Beel.” she smiles sweetly. 

Beel blushes as he smiles back at her. “Ugh. Normies.” Levi laments. “I’m going to be sick.” he complains but his eyes are flashing with jealousy. 

“Oi! What’s the big idea?!” Mammon stands up. “I’ve done so much more for ya! Where’s my thanks?!” he wants to know.

“Do you want a kiss Mammon?” Lily asks him, blinking up at him.

Mammon instantly flushes. “N-NO! I don’t wanna kiss from some human!” he instantly denies. “Ya could uh...give me money or somethin’ “ he grumbles. Beel and Levi both begin laughing at his expense. 

“She just paid for your meal!” Levi reminds him. 

“Grrr... Let’s go home.” Mammon says gruffly, pulling Lily behind him by the wrist. 

  
  


By the time the four of them arrive back to the House of Lamentation, they are all getting along again. Lily tries not to question the feeling of joy she has being surrounded by these three brothers laughing and having fun. Her smile dies away when they enter the house and see Lucifer waiting for them. Nothing good ever comes from Lucifer wanting a chat.

“Lily, Beelzebub. “ Lucifer calls the two over. Mammon and Levi hesitate a moment before continuing on to their respective rooms. 

“You two sure are back late...with Mammon and Leviathan too. I was worried whether they’d be able to put their differences aside at first, but it seems like they’re getting along well.” Lucifer says, looking at Lily appraisingly.

Looking at Beel he continues. “The repairs to the kitchen are finally done. And the wall to your room is fixed, too.” his gaze switches back to Lily. “You should move back into your room tomorrow and start sleeping there again.”

Apparently that was all he had to say because he simply turned to go back to his study after that. Lily made her way silently with Beel back to their shared room. Part of her was excited to have her own space again, yet it also came with a feeling of loneliness. She had long been used to the feeling of silence, of being alone with nothing but her own thoughts as company. Now she realizes how much she had enjoyed Beels company. Now they both felt sad as they got ready for bed.

Lily had been tossing and turning when she heard Beel come down the stairs. She figures he is going to go see if the kitchen is stocked now that it’s finished. Instead she fells his weight settle on the bed. 

“Lily, you awake?” Beel calls out to her, and she rolls over in bed to look up at him. 

“You remember how I told you about Lilith, right? Well, sometimes I dream about her, and they’re not happy dreams. They’re the sort of dreams you don't want to have. Long ago, back when we were in the celestial realm. I asked her a question. 

“Lilith, if you had to choose between saving either more or Belphie, who would it be?”

She just looked at me and said, “both of you!”

Now, everything I just told you really did happen. ...But when I dream about it, it doesn’t end there. Lilith and Belphie disappear, and I’m left all alone. Everything is pitch-black and suddenly I’m falling. Falling down through a void.”

Lily didn’t know what to say but her heart clenched. Instead of words, she pulled the blankets open and patted the space next to her. Beel slowly laid down on his side next to her. 

“Would it be okay if..if I held your hand, Lily? Just for a little bit. Until I fall asleep.” Beel asks her with a slight blush. 

Lily smiles sweetly and takes his hand in hers. His large hand engulfs hers, it’s warm and calloused. She wonders who is comforting who when her lids already feel heavy. 

“Thanks…” Beel says sleepily as they both drift off to sleep. 

“You’ve got to help him. You’ve got to help Belphie. Promise me Beel. Promise you’ll help him.”

Beel wakes up with a start. The sound of Lilith's voice was so real. “Oh, I guess I was dreaming. But it wasn’t the usual dream. This one was different. Do you think it could’ve been because you were here, Lily?” But his question goes unanswered because Lily is still sleeping deeply. 

Beel smiles at Lily, brushing some hair from her face. He thinks about checking the kitchen for food but strangely he’s not that hungry. Instead he lies back down, curling protectively around the sleeping human. He quickly falls back asleep.


	27. Not the Oddest Duck in the Pond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solomon pays Lily a visit, the angels issue an invitation.

“D’AHHHHH!” Lily's eyes blink rapidly, trying to clear her sleepy vision. Mammon shouting is not her favorite way to wake up in the morning. On high alert she looks around but nothing seems amiss. 

“Whaddya doin’ Beel?! I didn’t think ya had it in ya.” Mammon accuses his brother. Lily looks at Beel, remembering that they shared the bed last night. Is that what Mammon is upset about?

“Ya can’t just share a bed with Demons! With yer soft squishy human skin and smellin’ good...what if he woke up in the middle of the night and mistook you for his midnight snack!?” Mammon was ranting at Lily as he pokes Beel in the cheek, right where she had kissed him at Hell’s Kitchen. “This face ain’t for kissin’!” He uses his fingers to pull open Beels lips exposing his wide mouth full of large teeth and canines that look to be just a bit bigger and sharper than the rest of his brothers.

Beelzebub has had enough of the abuse as he snaps those same teeth at Mammon’s fingers; his lightning reflexes are the only thing that saves his digits. “Oi! See! He proves my point for me.” Mammon declares pompously.

Lily sighs and let’s herself fall back down on her pillow. Pulling the blankets over her head. Mammon growls and moves to pull her from bed but Beel places his hand on Mammon’s head, keeping him out of reach. “Get out of my room.”

“HEY! Knock it off!” Mammon growls. 

Lily peeks up at Beel, he’s grumpy because he’s hungry he did skip having a midnight snack after all. She can feel it through the pact, Beel is feeling very protective of her right now but so is Mammon. It’s like a strange intuition that floods her senses. 

“I surrender.” she says, flipping up the covers all the way and standing on the bed. “Let’s not fight.” she pleads. Walking on the bed she approaches Beel, on top of the bed she’s tall enough to rest her head on his shoulder as she hugs him from the side. “Go get some breakfast.” she tells him before jumping off his bed. 

The demons watch her move around the room as she collects her uniform and caddy of toiletries, humming a little tune before she heads off to shower to get ready for classes. 

  
  


During classes that day Lily finds that she cannot stop yawning despite having the best rest since she arrived in the Devildom last night. Most days she finds History of the Devildom fascinating but today the professor has been droning on about the Line of Demon Kings. For beings that had the potential to live forever, they often met their ends in brutal violent ways. So there were many more Kings before Diavolo’s father than she had expected. 

Despite her efforts to focus, the professor's voice fades away and she instead dreams of sunshine and the warm living scent of the woods. 

“Are you feeling well Lily?” Simeon’s gentle voice snaps her back to reality. 

“Huh?” Lily sees three concerned faces looking her way. The cool back of Solomon’s hand rests on her forehead. “Hmm. I don’t think she’s ill.” he concludes. The angels don’t look convinced, especially Luke. 

“I’m fine.” she smiles and blushes gently at the attention. “Just really tired.” another yawn comes unbidden.

Solomon has her D.D.D. in his hand. “We should have done this on the camping trip..” he begins. “There, I’ve added all our numbers to your phone.” he says, handing it back.

“Call us if you need anything! No matter how small!” Luke insists. 

“Umhmm. Even if you just need someone to chat to.” Simeon adds. 

“If you need to hear a human voice -” Solomon says.

“Or just anyone who ISN'T a demon!” Luke says, cutting Solomon off 

“Thank you.” Lily tells them with a smile. Now that she can contact them more easily, she’ll be able to ask them the questions she hasn’t been able to. 

Lily sometimes hears the demons talking about her but mostly she’s oblivious to the constant stares and whispers that follow her around campus. Apparently it hasn’t taken long for news of her pact with Beelzebub to sweep through the academy. 

Everyone seemed to be making their own assumptions on who she was and what was going on. It wasn’t hard for anyone else to see that some of them were just jealous of her proximity to the infamous brothers. 

When a demon sticks out their foot and causes her to take a tumble down a set of stairs she feels as if she’s been transported back to High School. Ancient Demons who act like teens? Yup, I must be in hell for real. She thinks to herself without humor. While others laugh at her expense she picks up her spilled books as dignified as she can and ignores them all. 

“Oi! What took ya so long?!” Mammon barks at her as she comes around the corner. Lily doesn’t itell him about the incident. He’d either tease her or flip out and cause a scene, she doesn;t know which and she doesn’t want to deal with either. 

Shrugging, she does her best not to limp even though her knee is smarting painfully. “Where is Lord Diavolo right now?” she asks Mammon instead of answering him. 

Mammon’s brows rise to his forehead in surprise. “Wha?! What’s with the interest in Lord Diavolo all the sudden?” he asks. 

“Beel said I should thank him for saving me the other night…”

“Oh...right.” Mammon scratches his next, not wanting to be reminded of it. “Sure. Well uh he and Lucifer usually take their lunch in the Assembly Hall.” Mammon tells her.

“Oh…” Lily doesn’t want to talk to Lord Diavolo in front of Lucifer, that would be awkward. Mammon seems to read her hesitance. 

“Hey! I’ll walk ya there. There’s something I’ve been meanin’ to ask Lucifer about.” he offers. Lily gives him a grateful smile and they walk together. 

Stepping into the Assembly Hall, Mammon raises his voice. “Oi! Lucifer! I need ya.”

Lucifer looks up from a stack of paperwork, his plate of lunch next to him, untouched. “What is it Mammon?”

“Uh..well..it’s uh...private.” Mammon says. Lucifer clenches his jaw, he can only imagine what his idiot of a brother needs now. 

“Excuse me.” he says to Lord Diavolo before following Mammon out of the room. Lily let’s out the breath she had been holding once he’s gone and the door clicks shut.

“Good Afternoon Lily.” Lord Diavolo greets her.

She faces the demon prince, the reason for all her recent troubles but also the reason why she’s still alive. 

“Good Afternoon...my Lord…” Lily returns his greeting awkwardly, bowing a little because she doesn’t know how to attempt a proper curtsy and she’s wearing pants. 

Diavolo laughs, his eyes sparkling. “Come now, after our camping trip I didn’t think you would be so formal.” he teases her, most likely referring to the sass she had thrown his way. 

Lily blushes a little. 

“Please sit.” he gestures to a chair next to him. “Diavolo is fine...although...when Lucifer is around you better stick with the Lord title.” he tells her with a wink.

Lily takes a seat and turns to Diavolo. “I wanted to say thank you….for the other night. I didn’t see...but Beel told me you saved my life.”

Lord Diavolo’s smile fades away into a more serious yet gentle expression. “It was an unfortunate turn of events. I’m glad I was there in time, for everyone’s sake.” he tells her.

“I hope you won’t let this incident make you think poorly of Lucifer…” he says to her. Lily can’t help the look of shock that comes over her face. Has he met Lucifer? It wouldn’t just be that one incident that sours her impression of the Avatar of Pride, besides.

Lord Diavolo laughs. “I’m not excusing his behavior but he’s under a large amount of stress and well, everyone deserves another chance.” 

Typically Lily would agree so she nods noncommittally in response. Even though she idly wonders how many chances she’s given him already.

“Good. Now is there anything else I can do for you?” he asks her. 

A million thoughts race through her mind. She’d like to ask him so many questions, perhaps throw herself down at his feet and beg him to send her back to the human realm. Demand to live with the angels and her fellow human at Purgatory Hall perhaps. She’d like to scold him too. “Well...I was wondering..” she begins to say but is interrupted by Lucifer reentering the room with a foul look on his face. “Uh, nevermind.” Lily says and leaves rather than ask Diavolo about Barbatos and the mysterious joint bank account. Lucifer hasn't said a word since that day and while it hasn’t been at her top list of worries it is another mystery she has yet to solve. 

Mammon is smoothing out his collar, looking a bit ruffled. “What did you say to him?” Lily asks in a hushed voice as they walk away from the Assembly Hall towards the cafeteria. 

“Huh? That don’t matter. What matters, is that you. Owe me. A favor.” he grins. Lily suppresses an eye roll, shaking her head as she gives him a small smile. 

After classes Mammon was rushing her up to Beelzebub’s room to pack her things. Once she stepped back into her own room Mammon smiled, looking relieved. “Alright Human. Listen up. I’ve got places to be tonight, you stay here.” he orders her around.

“Don’t be invitin’ anyone in while I’m gone either.” he warns her at the door before he takes off. 

Lily blinks after Mammon. A realization hitting her. Here in the Devildom, she’s not the strangest person in the room. The thought makes her giggle. Soon after another yawn follows. Now that Mammon is not distracting her with his nonsense she looks around her room. It’s exactly the same as it had been before, with one exception they’ve added a small window that looks out on the back gardens. This makes Lily happy as she moves to open the window to let in whatever constitutes as fresh air in the Devildom. 

Putting her books away on the shelf she sleepily hums a little tune. When she’s done unpacking the few things she had salvaged she realizes that her suitcase is gone, along with her old clothes and her father’s notebook. As the realization hits her, movement out of the corner of her eye catches her attention. 

Walking to the window she finds her journal sitting on the window sill and not only that, underneath is her father’s notebook. A single black feather rests on top. She looks out the window for Karasu but can’t spy him anywhere. “Thank you!” she calls out the window anyway. 

Clutching the two notebooks to her chest she hides them under her new mattress. 

Sitting back on her bed she grabs her D.D.D. to find a few chats waiting for her. The first thing she sees is a spy chat between Lord Diavolo and Lucifer. She saves that for later. She taps on a message from Solomon first.

**< Solomon:** Lily, is your leg all right?  
**< Solomon:** You took a fall near RAD’s entrance, didn’t you?  
**< Solomon:** I happened to see it from the classroom window. It looked quite painful.

Lily blushes, embarrassed that Solomon was witness to that. She wonders if he saw the Demon trip her or not, maybe he doesn’t want to embarrass her further by saying so. Which is more embarrassing though? She wonders to herself. Being clumsy or being bullied? She’s sure no one tries to trip Solomon. 

**> Lily:** It still stings a little.

She types out an honest answer. 

**< Solomon:** I thought as much.  
**< Solomon:** I’ll prepare a magic ointment and bring it to you.  
**< Solomon:** One application should take away the pain. A second should heal it without leaving a scar.  
**< Solomon:** I’ll prepare it immediately, so just wait a bit. 

Lilys first instinct is to refuse the help, she’s not used to having people fuss over her. She wonders if Lucifer will be upset with her for having the sorcerer over but he DID say that it was natural that they should associate since they were both humans in the exchange program. 

**> Lily:** Okay. (Smiling Demon Sticker)

Not sure how long it will take him, she goes to her bookshelf until she finds something familiar from the small stack of human world novels that have been added there. Settling down on a settee in the entrance hall she opens her book while she waits for Solomon.

Satan is passing through a while later and sees the human absorbed in a book. It’s the first time he’s seen her with a book that isn’t a text book and he is curious. Upon further expectation he sees the title, “Pride and Prejudice.” His derisive snort startles Lily who looks up at him with large blinking eyes.

“Predictable.” he tells her motioning to her book. Lily frowns. Can she not even read a book in peace? 

“It’s a classic.” she states, she doesn’t care if he thinks it’s a predictable choice or not. 

“There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.” Satan spouts a well known quote from the book with a challenging look in his eyes. 

Lily doesn’t know what point the Avatar is trying to make right now, she doesn’t really care. “Angry people are not always wise.” She quotes the book. It’s not a famous quote but it is true nonetheless. 

Satan narrows his eyes at the human. “Some would say it isn’t wise to mock the Avatar of Wrath...don’t I scare you?” he says to her, eyes glittering. 

“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” Lily quotes, not taking her eyes off of the book as she tries to find her place again. Hiding behind the words of the book she hopes he can’t tell that he really does scare her. Some predators you need to make yourself big and make a lot of noise, turning your back on them is a death sentence. Others you should play dead for. Lily can only guess on which type Satan is. 

Satan is about to respond when the doorbell chimes hauntingly through the manor. Lily stands up as Satan opens the door, revealing Solomon holding a jar of ointment. 

“Why are you here?” Satan asks Solomon rudely, he was enjoying a bit of banter with the silly little human. 

Solomon spies Lily standing behind Satan. “I’m here to see Lily of course.” he says as he breezes into the Manor, leaving Satan glaring at them as Lily shows Solomon to her room. 

Solomon casts his gaze curiously around Lily’s room, he’s shutting her door behind them when Satan puts his foot in the door. Solomon smirks and steps aside, allowing Satan entrance to her room. 

“Lily, what business do you have with Solomon?” Satan asks her directly.

“Business?” Lily asks vacantly as she’s more focused on Solomon, who’s asking her to sit. 

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Satan watches with no shortage of surprise when Solomon kneels in front of her and begins rolling up one of her pant legs, revealing tanned skin that fades into a creamy ivory above the knee. Lily was obviously someone who had spent a lot of time in the sun in the human world, but didn’t often reveal much of her skin. 

There’s a large bruise and scrape on her knee. Lily is glad she’s opted to wear pants over the skirt for her uniform. She can imagine the fuss that would have been made at school if they had seen it. Solomon gently applies some of the ointment over the damaged skin. Lily is surprised when it doesn’t even sting. 

“There you are.” Solomon says as he pulls out a pocket linen to wipe the ointment off his fingers. Closing up the jar he sets it in her hands, closing his larger ones over hers for a moment. “Once more in the morning and you’ll be right as rain.”

“What happened?” Satan asks, still hovering near her door. 

Solomon looks at Lily and she realizes he won’t divulge anything she doesn’t want to. “I tripped earlier today.” she says, telling another half truth. 

“Yes, and I just happened to witness the fall and thought she might be in need of this.” Solomon gestures to the ointment. 

“We have human first aid kits here.” Satan replies.

“I’m sure you do.” Solomon nods. “But this works much better. I created it myself.” 

Lily watches as Satan rolls his eyes. There’s a tension in the room that Lily doesn’t understand. She’s seen Solomon and Satan get along just fine and she can’t understand the undercurrent of hostility coming from the Avatar of Wrath right now. 

“Thank you Solomon.” she finally says, trying to break the tension in the room. “Can I get you some tea or something else to drink? 

Solomon turns a genteel smile her way. “No, thank you. I better get back to Purgatory Hall.” he says. He gives her a light pat on the shoulder before tipping his head to Satan as he leaves her room and subsequently, the Manor. 

Satan turns his eyes on Lily once more. “Let me give you another piece of advice Lily.” he tells her. “Solomon may be human but you’d best handle him the same as any demon.”

Without further explanation Satan leaves, closing her door behind him. Lily blinks, staring at her door. Why is everyone so complicated? She wonders glumly. 

Remembering she still had other messages on her D.D.D. she fishes her phone out of her pocket. She smiles when she sees a message from the Angels. 

**The Angels (3)**

**< Luke:** Madam Scream’s new tart of the month is going on sale tomorrow!  
**< Luke: ** Why don’t we go try it? So that I can tell Michael!  
**> Lily:** Madam Scream???  
**< Luke: ** Yeah! It’s that super popular sweet shop! They are known for their custards but I heard the tarts are really good too!

That must be where Beel’s infamous custard came from..Lily thinks to herself.

**> Lily: ** That sounds fun.   
**< Luke: ** Yeah, I’ve been super excited since I found out!  
**< Luke:** I know! Why don’t the three of us have a tea party?   
**< Luke:** We can turn it into a monthly thing! **  
** **< Simeon: (Happy Demon Sticker)  
** **> Lily:** Sounds good to me!  
**< Luke:** Then this will be our first monthly tea party! I’m so excited!

Lily smiles to herself. A tea party! With Angels! She giggles out loud. What a strange turn her life had taken. Some of it had been awful yes but there was still so much wonder too. 

Hesitantly she opens the spy chat. 

**< Lord Diavolo:** Lucifer. Have you made up with Lily?  
**< Lucifer:** I apologized and issued a dinner invitation.   
**< Lord Diavolo:** You did?!  
**< Lucifer:** Does this suffice?  
**< Lord Diavolo** : Ah. Yes. Very good then. 

Pah. Lily can’t help but roll her eyes as she tosses her phone onto her nightstand. Demons had a lot to learn about humans if they thought fake apologies and dinner could wash away their sins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Book Quotes from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen


	28. Tea Party Makeover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmo get's Lily ready for her Tea Party with the Angels

Lily is smiling, in her own world as she floats into the dining room for dinner. She’s daydreaming about meeting up with Simeon and Luke tomorrow. She wonders what Madam Screams is like? She hasn’t had a chance to explore much of the city and it’s shops yet. Settling down into her chair, she casts one furtive glance at Lucifer. Then tension isn’t as bad as she was expecting. The demon’s she has pacts with all greet her in their own ways. 

Beel has already piled Lily's plate with food, some he knew she would eat and others he knew she wouldn’t but that just meant she’d offer them to him later. 

“Lily, I heard Solomon came to visit you?” Asmo asked, curiously. Fishing for gossip. 

“What?!” Mammon shouts. He points a fork at Lily from across the table. “Ya had that shady sorcerer over?!”

Beel frowns and pushes Mammon’s hand down, not liking the way he’s pointing it at Lily. What if it flew from his hand and impaled her?

“Hey! Cut it out!” Mammon snaps at Beel. 

“He did?” Levi asks. “You two didn’t talk about TSL without me did you?” he eyes her with suspicion. 

Lily opens her mouth to answer but Satan beats her to it. “Hey came over to tend to her leg wound.” he explains, causing an even bigger uproar. 

Lucier is looking at her now, as if waiting for an explanation. She wants to sign with exasperation and wonders if Satan did that on purpose. It hardly qualifies as a wound. 

“Whaddya talkin’ about?!” Mammon demands. “She was with me all day!”  
  
Lily wishes Satan would shut up but her wish goes unanswered. “Well unsurprisingly you’ve been lax in your duties.”

“It’s fine.” Lily says, really not understanding what the fuss is all about. “It’s just a little scrape.”

Mammon folds his arms, clearly displeased. “Well if it’s no big deal then why was that sonofa-”

“Mammon!” Lucifer snaps a warning for Mammon to watch his tongue. 

“He was just being kind.” Lily says, turning her attention to her food. She doesn’t want them to ruin her good mood. 

“Lucifer! Say somethin’!” Mammon growls. “Tell her Solomon’s not allowed in the Manor.”

Lucifer sighs and glares at Mammon. “He’s a guest of Lord Diavolo’s and an exchange student. I’ve already warned Lily not to trust him. The rest is up to her.”

Lily glances up, a little surprised by that answer. Mammon seems dissatisfied with it as he addresses Lily once more. 

“Ya just don’t know how to listen for your own good do ya? There’s a reason he’s got a pact with Asmodeus! He’s just as bad! He’s an old man and a womanizer!” Mammon warns her. 

“Excuse me?!” Asmodeus says in offence. “I don’t like what you're implying!” 

“But you’re older than Solomon.” Beel reminds Mammon around a mouthful of food.

“Shaddap! That’s not the point!” Mammon argues. 

Lily had heard that Solomon had a pact with Asmodeus but she couldn’t see that the Sorcerer and the Avatar of Lust had anything in common. On the other hand she didn’t know Solomon very well yet either. It was true that King Solomon had a reputation of having many wives..but she didn’t know what that had to do with her. 

Lily pushes her plate over to Beel so he can eat what she doesn’t want. She peers down the table at Asmodeus. “Asmodeus..would you help me pick something to wear for tomorrow?” she asks shyly. 

Forks clatter on the table. Asmo looks surprised for a moment by her ask. One glance at Mammon beginning to sputter across the table has Asmo smiling wickedly. “Of course my dear!”

“Why! What for?!” Mammon finally finds his words.

“Could you walk me to the RAD campus gates tomorrow Mammon? I’m meeting Simeon and Luke.” she tells him, smiling sweetly. He might not trust Solomon but surely he wouldn’t object to the angels. 

“Ooo! Are you going on a date?” Asmo says, just for the purpose of riling up Mammon who’s made the mistake of showing just how possessive he is of this human. 

Lily blushes and shakes her head. “The three of us are having a tea party.” she explains.

“Will there be cake?” Beelzebub looks up from his food to ask. 

Lucifer notices the guilty look that overcomes Lily and sighs. “Beelzebub, behave. You were not invited. Do not pester Lily about it.” Beel obeys even if he doesn’t look happy about it.

“Well I ain’t walkin’ ya over there so I guess you’re stuck here.” Mammon says smartly, crossing his arms. 

“Don’t worry Lily, I’ll walk you over after we get you all dressed up.” Asmo winks at her, infuriating his brother. “I'll be heading out anyway.”

“Be sure that Simeon sees you back to the Manor afterwards or that you call one of us to come get you.” Lucifer commands. Lily nods and he seems satisfied with that. 

Lily is so tired she decides to go to bed right away. She doesn’t wake up to the pinging messages on her D.D.D. or the argument between brothers that takes place outside her door. In the morning Lily looks at her phone to see a bunch of unanswered messages from Levi. 

**Leviathan <>Lily**

**< Leviathan:** Hey Normie...come to my room. We need to start your training.  
**< Leviathan: ** Hey! Are you ignoring me?!  
**< Leviathan:** These co-op dungeons aren’t going to win themselves you know.  
**< Leviathan:** Are you trying to make me jealous by ignoring me!?  
**< Leviathan: ** Hello?!

_ Oh dear _ ...Lily thinks to herself as she types out a belated response. 

**> Lily:** Sorry Levi. I went to bed right after Dinner.  
**< Leviathan:** Yeah...Mammon told me as much.

Mammon? Lily wonders about that statement. Did he try to visit her last night?

**> Lily** : Can we play games when I get back later today?  
**< Leviathan:** (Shocked Demon Sticker)   
**< Leviathan:** Seriously?! Are you messing with me?  
**> Lily:** (Confused Demon Sticker)   
**< Leviathan** : I mean..sure...come over if you want. I can’t promise I’ll have time for you though.  
**> Lily:** Okay (Smiling Demon Sticker)

Next Lily sees a spy chat between her three demons. Curiously and with only mild hesitation she opens it. 

**Chat 236**

**> Leviathan:** Which one of you is with Lily right now? She’s not answering my text.   
**< Mammon:** Stop spammin’ my human! She’s sleepin’   
**> Leviathan:** How do you know that?! Are you watching her sleep!?  
 **< Mammon:** ‘course not! Geesh. Time is money, I ain’t got none to waste on her.  
 **< Beelzebub:** Yeah then how come you were trying to go in her room.  
 **< Mammon:** Oi! Don’t act like you weren’t tryin’ to go into her room too!

Lily deletes the text after that. She shakes her head, not understanding. But she doesn’t have much time to think about it when Asmodeus comes striding into her room without knocking. 

“Oh good. You’re awake. Time to get you ready!” he sings, walking to her closet. 

Lily rubs her eyes. Wondering why Asmodeus is in her room at this hour. “Umm..why are you here?” she asks, still sleepy.

Asmodeus sticks his head out of her closet, looking displeased with her. “Did you forget? You asked me to help you get ready.”

“Before breakfast?” she asks.

Asmos frown turns into an expression of amusement. “Look at the time darling. You slept past breakfast and it’s going to take time to get you ready.” he laughs. 

Lily looks down at her D.D.D. and the time confirms Asmodeus’ statement. She’s wondering why no one woke her up sooner but Asmodeus disrupts her thoughts once again as if reading her mind. 

“If you’re wondering why none of those idiots you’re in a pact with woke you up, it’s because Lucifer forbade it. He said you, being a weak human, needed the extra sleep.”

Lily wanders over to her closet where Asmo is sorting through her clothes with a frown. “Is this all that’s left?” he asks her. She nods, unfortunately her closet had been another casualty of the destruction of her room. 

Asmodeus sighs. Selecting a few things. “Well I can make do for today.” he tells her, “But we’ll need to go shopping tomorrow and replenish this closet!” he clicks his tongue. “And get Beelzebub to pay for it...I’d say Mammon but there’s no point in trying to get money out of that scumbag.”

“I can pay for my own clothes.” Lily says independently. Does Asmodeus really want to take her shopping again? She tries not to get her hopes up, she had such fun the first time until he soured things. But that was behind them now, right? Then she frowns, can she pay? She still doesn’t know the balance of her bank account. 

“Umm. Do you know how to check the balance?” she asks Asmodeus.

“What? Lucifer didn’t tell you?” Asmodeus asks. Lily shakes her head. He sighs as if it’s the biggest chore when he shows her the app to download on her phone and how to access her account. Their eyes both grow wide when they see the balance. “My, my, my...that’s unusual…” Asmodeus looks at Lily as if trying to discern her secrets. 

“It’s quite the mystery…” Lily agrees. Asmodeus realizes quickly he’ll get no information from the human who seems desperately clueless. He’ll have to corner Lucifer about this later. 

“Well! If you’re smarter than you look, you’ll make sure Mammon doesn’t get his greedy claws on that card of yours.” he tells her, echoing Lucifer's sentiments. He holds a blouse up to her, turning his attention back to the most important task. Getting Lily gorgeous enough to tempt an Angel and piss off his older brother. He chuckles to himself. 

“Alright first things first. Go take a shower.” he begins to order her about. Hours later, Lily is glancing constantly at the clock and fidgeting with her fingers. 

“Stop frowning!” Asmodeus scolds her, pulling on her hair with the brush. “A pretty face like yours shouldn’t fret so.”

“I just don’t want to keep them waiting on me…” Lily replies. This whole thing has taken so much longer than she ever expected. She had only wanted his opinion on what she should wear to a tea party, not a complete makeover! 

“Hush. You don’t want to appear desperate for their attention do you? No. It never hurts to arrive a little late. You want them waiting on you, not the other way around!” he instructs her. Pulling her long lavender locks into a perfect chignon at the nape of her neck, complete with a dainty ribbon bow. 

Finally he allows her to look in the full length mirror. She blushes slightly at her own appearance. She doesn’t think she’s ever looked so put together before. She had been afraid to see her reflection after all that makeup he applied to her face. To her surprise it was perfectly subtle, only accentuating her features and giving her skin a radiant glow. He had chosen a white blouse that had sheer long puff sleeves and a high frilly collar that was tied closed with another ribbon. The blouse was tucked into a high waist skirt that she found was both beautiful and practical with pockets. The skirt was deep grape purple that both contrasted and complimented her hair color wonderfully. 

Feeling happy and so excited, her cheeks flush so delightfully that the Avatar of Lust can’t resist the temptation to tease her when she turns to face him once more. 

“Well now I’ve helped you. Where’s my payment?” he asks her, trying to hide a wicked grin.

“Oh!” Lily is somewhat taken aback. She didn’t realize he’d want payment, after all, she hadn’t asked him to go this far. But he did work hard and she was happy with the results so she supposed he did deserve some sort of compensation. 

Asmodeus looks offended when Lily pulls out her coin purse from her pocket. “What do you take me for? Mammon?” he scoffs. “I’m the Avatar of Lust, not greed.” he purrs, stepping close to her and tipping her chin up with a finger.

Lily begins to panic and her eyes slam shut as Asmodeus’s face looms closer to hers. Then she feels a light peck on the cheek. She peeks to see him smiling at her. “Oh Lily, you’re just so gullible.” he laughs. “What in the world did you imagine just now hmmm?” he teases her and delights in the way her cheeks flush an even deeper red.

Now that their little spat is behind them, Asmodeus delights in entertaining himself with her again. This is just the foreplay he reminds himself, the real fun will begin soon. He smiles wickedly as he escorts Lily out of her room. He rolls his eyes when he sees not only Mammon is in the common room pretending not to be waiting for her, but Levi and Beel are there too.  _ Could they be more obvious? _ He thinks to himself with no shortage of disdain. 

“Taa daa!” Asmodeus announces, catching everyone’s attention. Capturing Lily’s hand he twirls her about, her skirt flares prettily and as he suspected she would, she loses her balance. Tripping ungracefully over her own feet she falls right into his chest, he takes advantage by wrapping his free arm around her waist and securing her against him as he addresses the room. 

“Haven’t I made her lovely?” he asks the room. Mammon is already up out of his seat looking irritable. Levi is silently staring, a blush coming to his cheeks. 

Beel is the only one who smiles. “Lily is always pretty.” he says before tossing another chip into his mouth. 

“Oi! Why is she all dressed up like that?” Mammon tries to pull Lily from Asmodeus’ grasp but he twirls her around the other way, pulling her into a little dance to keep away from Mammon. Mammon growls with irritation but he’s too worried he’d hurt her if he literally drags her out of his brother's hold. 

“Don’t put your grubby hands on Lily.” Asmodeus scolds his older brother. “I don’t want you to ruin all my hard work.”

Lily on the other hand is too busy trying to stay on her own two feet and has no thoughts towards their conversation. 

“You’re the one who needs to keep ya filthy hands off my human!” Mammon growls. 

Asmodeus laughs and stops dancing but keeps Lily pressed close to his side. “Yes and doesn’t  **_your_ ** human,” he mocks, “look ever so gorgeous today? Hmm?” 

Mammon catches Lily’s eyes and he watches her glance away with a pretty blush on her cheeks. For the first time since Asmo came prancing out with her, he really looks at her. The truth is she’s beautiful, she always has been like an uncut diamond and now Asmo has gone and polished her up, she’s radiant. Mammon feels his own cheeks becoming hot and he realizes he’s hesitated for far too long. Asmodeus has a wicked looking grin on his face.

“No!” he blurts out. He watches Lily’s shy smile falter. “I mean, yeah! She looks good..for a human, ya know?” he adds with a shrug. Lily’s smile doesn’t come back but she doesn’t look as hurt. Her emotions are usually broadcasting loudly down their pact but now it’s like she’s got her guard up. He curses himself inwardly for being such an idiot. 

Asmodeus on the other hand looks quite satisfied. “Well let’s be off Lily. It’s one thing to be fashionably late and it's another to be rude after all.” he says with a grin, turning them towards the door. 

Lily, remembering the whole reason she got herself into this awkward situation, brightens. She can’t wait to have some time with the angels. 

Mammon shuts the door behind them harder than he needs to. Turning around, both his brothers are staring at him. “What?!” he barks. Both brothers avert their eyes, Levi back to his phone and Beel back to his snacks. Eventually they all go their own ways, not having a reason to hang out in the common room any longer.


	29. Tea Party for Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily goes to Madam Screams with Simeon and Luke

Lily and Asmodeus barely make it out the front gates when Karasu greets Lily with a loud caw, he lands on her shoulder and tugs at the ribbon in her hair with his beak. Lily doesn’t even have the chance to greet him when Asmodeus begins shrieking.

“Shoo! Go away you beast!” Asmodeus quickly brushes the bird off of her shoulder. “Ugh! We’re lucky the nasty thing didn’t tear your beautiful sleeves!” he laments as he fusses over her hair, making sure everything is still in place.

“Hey! Who’re you calling nasty?” Karasu asks, his voice sounds offended yet he’s wearing a grin, his eyes dance with his usual mischievous glint. 

“Karasu!” Lily beams, she hasn’t been able to properly thank him for keeping the journal and her father’s notebook safe. Without thinking, she gives him a big hug. 

Asmodeus looks scandalized as Lily embraces Karasu like a long lost friend. The corvid spirit winks at Asmodeus behind her back and makes lewds gestures that Lily, of course, is oblivious to. 

Asmodeus is incensed. “Did your scummy master send you here to harass us?!” he asks while pulling Lily away. “Lily, don’t tell me you’re friends with this horrible thing?”

“He’s not a thing.” Lily protests feeling indignant for her friend. “He’s been nice to me...in his own way...ever since I arrived.” She defends Karasu.

“Yeah, that’s right. And no, my Master did not send me. I don’t need his leave to visit Lily.” Karasu answers Asmodeus as he checks out Lily.

Lily blushes when Karasu lets out a long whistle. “Well, well. I guess Asmo’s good for something after all. Aren’t you just a vision today Doll.” 

Asmodeus makes a noise of disgust as he links arms with Lily and begins walking towards the RAD campus again. “Come Lily. We’ll not waste my hard work on the likes of him.”

Karasu easily keeps pace with them. “Where ya going all dressed up?” he asks.

“I’m going to a Tea Party with the Angels.” Lily answers him with a beaming smile. 

“Is that right?” Karasu ignores Asmodeus, giving Lily all his attention. “I bet that made the demons back at home real jealous.”

Once again Lily can’t respond because Asmodeus begins speaking over her. “Lily. Whatever this horrid bird has done to earn your favor, it’s all trickery!” he warns her. “We might all be demons but what he is, is something else, something you won’t trust if you’ve got any brains at all!” Asmo warns her. He doesn’t care that his whole purpose today was to make his dumb brother’s jealous and wind up Mammon. He doesn’t need this feathered idiot showing up and stealing his show. 

Karasu hoots and laughs loudly. Slapping his leg and wiping away a fake tear from his eye. “Ya hear that Lily?” he pauses to laugh some more. “Those brother’s might say they’re demons like the rest of us...but they’re really just puffed up fallen angels.” he leans in as if he’s going to tell her a secret. “Snobs the lot of them...think they’re better than us.”

Lily giggles, he does have a point. Asmodeus is frowning however and she and wonders why none of these creatures can get along with each other. It seems to her that Lord Diavolo has more work to do in his own realm before he can unite with the others. 

“Mammon’s the only one who knows he’s place.” Karasu continues. “I guess that’s why I can stand him most of the time.” he shares.

Asmodeus snorts and laughs. “That’s right, Mammon’s at the bottom of the barrel right alongside the likes of you.”

Finally Lily can spy Simeon and Luke waiting for her by the gates to RAD. She picks up her pace, breaking her link with Asmodeus, and waves happily at them. She’ll be glad when she can leave these two bickering demons behind. 

Karasu stops her at the end of the woods. “Well I’ll be seeing ya peaches.” he tells her, giving her a swift kiss on the cheek before transforming and flying off.

“Ugh! Disgusting.” Asmodeus complains and looks at Lily with a frown. Pulling out a compact from the small fashionable shoulder bag he carries; He blots her skin with powder. Looking her over once more he decides she’s acceptable and turns to walk with her the remaining way. 

“Well here she is! I’ve delivered her to you safely and you’ll answer to Lucifer if you don’t return her in the same condition.” Asmodeus tells them before turning away towards the campus. “I’m going to get wrinkles at this rate...” they hear him muttering to himself as he tries to rid his face of the permanent frown he’s been wearing. 

Luke looks indignant, his hands make small fists. “Hmph! He’s one to talk!” he begins to rant. 

“Now, now Luke. Let’s not ruin our outing with Miss Lily.” Simeon calms Luke. 

Asmodeus has already left by the time Lily notices. She’ll have to thank him later. Luke blushes and mutters an apology to her. 

“We’re so happy you’re joining us. I must say you didn’t have to go to the trouble of dressing up for us but you do look beautiful. I dare say we’ll be the envy of all who see us, isn’t that right Luke?” Simeon says, causing Lily to blush shyly. She never thought she’d receive such a princely compliment from an angel.

Luke seems to notice the way Lily is dressed up for the first time and blushes. “Y-Yes well...Lily is b-beautiful inside out.” he stammers indignantly while Simeon chuckles.

“Thank you again for inviting me! It’ll be nice to spend time with you both and see more of the city.” she tells them with excitement. 

“Of course!” Luke instantly brightens, his mood doing a complete switch around as he links arms with Lily and they make their way into town. Simeon follows at their side. 

“If you like sweets Lily, then I think you’ll really love Madam Screams!” he tells her excitedly. “Of course.” he sniffs. “Some of their flavor offerings are only fit for demon palates.” 

It turns out that Madam Scream’s was a popular destination on the weekend. After an hour in line, Lily was finally seated with the angel’s enjoying a delicious tart and tea. 

“To new friendships.” Simeon says, raising his tea cup in a toast. Lily smiles, feeling warm and happy as she parrots his sentiments. Luke is the first to dig into the tart and immediately begins giving them his impressions. 

“Oh wow! The custard is so creamy and perfectly set!” he’s practically swooning. 

Lily wonders if angels have a natural healing aura to them because she already feels so much lighter and happier spending time with them. She can almost forget all her worries. 

“So tell us about you Lily.” Simeon breaks through her thoughts. 

“Me?” she says softly, her worries rushing back in on her. 

“Where are you from? Who are your friends and family in the human world?” he asks, prompting her. 

This vibe at the table shifts as Lily’s eyes become a bit vacant and far away. This is her opportunity to ask them her questions but they’ve been having such a lovely time it almost seems a shame to bring it up. Simeon has asked her though and it would be rude not to answer.

Luke’s hand resting over her own breaks her from her thoughts as she locks eyes with him. “You don’t have to..” he begins. 

Lily shakes her head and smiles. She launches into telling them the tale of her life but she keeps her hand there under Luke’s, finding comfort from his friendly touch, full of warmth and care.

Lily can smile through most of her story, even her mother’s death doesn’t bother her as it once had. It was so long ago and despite her unconventional upbringing, she’d always been a happy child. 

“What?!”” Luke grips her hand, interrupting her tale when she gets to the part about living alone for the past three years. Simeon hushes him and encourages her to continue. 

Lily finishes by telling them about finally leaving for college, the car breaking down, the strange light she followed into the forest leading up to her sudden appearance in the Devildom.

“Oh Lily....” Luke has unshed tears in his eyes, still focused on the trials Lily has endured in her life so far. 

“So you say you followed this light and then your environment changed? Before Barbatos summed you to the Assembly Hall?” Simeon asks her gently but his eyes are shrewd and thinking. 

Lily nods. “Yes..” her voice is almost a whisper. “It felt...as if I had already passed into the Devildom before the summoning.” this is the first time she’s mentioned that part or admitted it to herself. 

“But that’s impossible...right?!” Luke says, glancing at Simeon.. Simeon just shrugs. 

Lily finally pulls her hand away from Luke as she pulls out her father’s notebook from the bookbag she’d insisted on bringing with her, much to Asmodeus’s annoyance. She slides the notebook across the table towards Simeon. 

“I had given up on ever seeing my Father..or finding out what happened to him when I left for college.” Lily admits with a lump in her throat. “But then I ended up here...and my father...he’d been obsessed since my mother died.” she pauses as Simeon opens the notebook. 

Inside he sees archaic illustrations of demons and angels, notes on heaven and hell. He raises a brow as he flips a page.

“My father was convinced he could reach the other side and speak to my mother again.” she tells them. “I always had an active imagination, I dreamed of other worlds that existed..but my father..he couldn’t get over his grief and it slowly consumed him.”

She pauses to take a sip of tea. Luke takes her hand again when she sets her tea cup down. “Last I knew he was trying to find a way to find an angel to speak to...but when I ended up here...I couldn’t help but wonder. What if he met with a demon instead?” there it was, her unspoken fear laid bare. 

“I haven’t spoken of this to anyone.” she tells them. “But I’d been hoping to speak to you two about it. Is there any way you could help me find out what happened to him? Even if...if he’s dead..I would put my mind at ease just to know.”

Simeon frowns and picks up a table linen to dab away the tear that Lily didn’t even realize had escaped down her cheek. Folding his hands together he tells her seriously. “Lily….Angels have many rules when it comes to involving ourselves with human affairs.” he begins and Lily feels her stomach drop in disappointment.

“BUT!” Luke begins to protest but Simeon silences him with a raised hand. 

“If your Father did involve himself with the Celestial Realm or the Devildom...then we may be able to help you.” he finishes, his eyes flick back down to the notebook as he flips through the last few pages. Neither Luke nor Lily notice the way his eyes widen, a fleeting look of alarm passing over his features. 

“Do you mind if I hold onto this for a while?” he asks her suddenly. 

Lily hesitates, it’s the only thing she has connecting her Father with her theory. 

“I promise I will take the utmost care with it.” Simeon promises. “It may help me find answers for you,” he explains.

Lily feels a bit of relief and nods in agreement. “Don’t worry Lily. Simeon is amazing. He’ll do what he can for you. We both will!” Luke tells her with determination. 

“Thank you.” she tells them both earnestly.

“Has anything else strange happened since you arrived?” Simeon asks her. 

Luke scoffs. “As if being dragged into the Devildom, forced to go to RAD and live with a bunch of crazy demons isn’t strange enough!” 

Lily giggles and then considers Simeon’s question. “Well there was one thing..'' She's decided not to tell them about Belphegor locked in the attic. “Lucifer took me to the bank to open an account...yet I already had an account open. The oddest part was that the account had been opened eleven years before my birth and the demon account holder is Barbatos.” she tells them. 

“What? Barbatos? Are you sure?!” Luke exclaims. 

Lily nods. “That’s what the demon at the Bank told us.”

“And what did Lucifer and Barbatos have to say about this?” Simeon wonders.

Lily shrugs. “I don’t know. Lucifer said he was going to look into it but no one has said a word since and everything has been so crazy I haven’t really asked about it.” she admits.

“Hmmm.” Simeon hums in thought.

“Oh.” Lily leans in, and whispers. “The account is quite substantial too.”

“Well don’t let Mammon find out or you'll be penniless before you know it!” Luke tells her.

She laughs. _Yes. So everyone tells me._ She thinks to herself, amused. 

“Well, this has been the most interesting first tea party!” Simeon laughs. “Let us adjourn for the day. I’d like to make a few inquiries on your behalf.”

Lily and Luke both can’t help feeling a little disappointed that Simeon wants to bring their outing to a close so soon but Lily feels grateful that he’s taking her request seriously. 

Simeon and Luke walk Lily back to the House of Lamentation. Luke and Lily practically skip down the path together, arms linked while Luke tells Lily about all the new sweets he’s made recently. Simeon follows behind, deep in thought over everything that Lily has revealed to him. He cannot shake the feeling that something much larger is at work here. 

_Later that evening at Purgatory Hall._.

**Simeon <> Lord Diavolo**

**< Simeon:** Diavolo, there’s something I’d like to ask you…  
 **< Simeon:** It’s about Lily.   
**< Simeon:** How did you originally go about choosing people to participate in your exchange program?  
 **< Simeon:** Humans are as countless as the stars in the sky. With so many of them out there, why go with Lily?  
 **< Simeon:** Was there something you based your decision on?  
 **< Simeon:** I just can’t help wondering.  
 **< Simeon:** Have you looked up Lily’s lineage?   
**< Simeon:** I’m sure you examined everything from birth until now..  
 **< Simeon:** ..but have you looked into parentage and family history and such?  
 **< Simeon:** Anyway, sorry for bothering you. I was curious, that’s all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading. What do you all think of Karasu? I'm thinking about introducing more RAD student characters to the story, such as Mephistopheles or maybe some of the demons Solomon has pacts with. If so, I'd like to hear what you would find interesting. Who should I introduce and what personality types would you like to see? No promises but I'm curious as to what you think!


	30. The Queen of Tarts has no Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily brings back treats from Madam Screams and spends time with Levi

Wandering out of the kitchen, Beel is feeling bored and lonely, a hole the food never quite seems to fill. Spotting Mammon pacing around the parlor; Curiously he stops to watch his older brother, who stops every once and awhile to peek through the curtains of the front windows. 

“Hey Mammon.” he says casually, standing behind his brother with his hands in his pocket.

Mammon jumps in alarm, too preoccupied to hear his brother enter the room. “N-No! I wasn’t waitin’ around for that human!”

“What?” Beel asks.

“What?!” Mammon says, raising his hands. “What’s the deal with ya sneakin’ up on me? Huh?!”

They pause when they hear the front door open. Through the doorway they see Lily enter the house and make her way up the stairs. She’s humming a little tune as she sways a bit, almost as if she’s dancing while walking, holding a couple of bags in her hands. 

Mammon raises a brow and exchanges a look with Beel when they see her stop to curtsey to the two gargoyles that flank the stairway. She giggles and continues on up. 

“Where’s she goin’?” Mammon wonders aloud, her room isn’t upstairs after all. 

“Sweet.” Beel says.

“Heh. Yeah she’s pretty sweet...a bit weird though..” Mammon replies with a grin. 

“No.” Beel says, looking at Mammon. “I smell sweets.” he finishes as he makes his way to follow Lily. 

Mammon blushes. “Y-yeah! That’s what I meant!” he says, charging after Beel.

  
  


Satan opens his door, irritated, he was just getting to the best part in his novel. Fully expecting to find one of his idotic brothers at his door, he’s momentarily surprised when he sees Lily, looking like she’s had an Asmodeus approved makeover standing outside his door smiling brightly. 

“Did you need something?” he asks. 

Lily was momentarily frozen by his fierce scowl when he first opened the door, luckily his expression had softened a bit when he saw her standing there.

“I don’t know what flavors you like. So I got you the mystery flavor. Simeon said you might appreciate that?” Lily pulls out an individually boxed mini tart from her Madam Screams bag. 

“I see…” Satan accepts the box with confusion. "What are you hoping to get out of this?"

he asks. 

Lily lists her head to the side, confused. She’s about to respond when suddenly Satan rolls his eyes and shuts the door. Turning, she see’s Beel staring down at her expectantly. 

“Oh, Beel.” she giggles. She hands him the other bag, it has a full sized tart in it. Even though it’s large enough to feed the whole family here, she supposes he’ll only see it as a snack size.

"You're giving this to me? Thank you.” Beel beams, peeking into the bag. Then his expression looks a bit worried.”Um...I'm still not sharing my dinner with you though." he tells her before heading up to his room, maybe worried she’ll change her mind about the tart?

Lily is shaking her head, smiling as she watches Beel go. “Oi! Whaddya think you’re doin’ huh?” Mammon snaps at her.

Mammon has his arms crossed, looking none too pleased. His human spends all morning with Asmo, all afternoon with those damn angels and now she’s back showering her attention on his brothers before she’s even acknowledged him. The nerve of this human!

“Hi Mammon. I hope you had a good day?” she asks as she digs around in her bag, ignoring his bad attitude. 

Pulling out the mini tart she picked out specifically for him, she offers it to him with a sweet smile. "Did ya really think I'd be happy receivin' that?" Mammon snaps at her, not making any move to take it. 

“Oh? Are you sure?” she asks, doing her best not to let Mammon ruin her good day. “I picked it out just for you...it’s even decorated with a bit of gold leaf.”

“Hmm? Gold ya say?” Mammon snatches the tart and opens the box. The citrus tart is indeed decorated with a bit of gold leaf. Mammon snorts. “I like to spend my gold ya know? Not eat it.” he scoffs. 

“Oh...well I’m sure Beel will eat it then..” she holds her hand out for the tart.

“Wha?!” Mammon exclaims. “This is my tart ain’t it?! Don’t try to take it back now.” he growls and stomps off towards his room. 

Lily sighs.  _ Demons sure are hard to please. _ She thinks to herself. 

Knocking on Asmodeus’ door, he doesn’t answer. She doesn’t want to leave the tart outside his door, Beel will surely come by and take it. She hesitates a moment before entering his room. Wasting no time, she sets the tart down on his vanity and then makes her escape, her heart racing a bit. 

Not daring to enter Lucifer’s room on her own, she heads down to his study. It’s where he should be this time of day if he isn’t out anyway. She finds his study empty too and leaves his tart behind on his desk. 

Betting that he’s at the Castle with Lord Diavolo, Lily sneaks up to the attic. She can hear the quiet snores coming from the lump in the bed. She’s not sure if this will work. Belphegor has already demonstrated that he cannot put himself or anything else through the openings in the door. She’s doubtful she will be able to either. Holding her breath, and making sure that Belphegor is still sleeping, she tries to push her hand through one of the openings closest to the floor. Her hand goes through no problem. She quietly extracts the tart she picked out for Belphegor and slides it onto the floor in his room. Letting out a small sigh of relief, she takes her bag containing one last tart and hurries down the stairs. 

Belphegor stirs in bed and sits up sleepily. “Lily?” he calls out. He could have sworn he heard her. A sent catches his attention and he looks towards the door. Shufflign over her picks up the tart. It has Lily’s scent all over it. Lucifer keeps him fed but it’s been a long time since he’s had anything sweet, let alone from Madam Screams. A small smile flits across his face. Then he sighs. “Silly human, you’re making this too easy.”

  
  
Leviathan is currently in a mood. He’s spent the morning tidying up his room, hiding his more scandalous mangas, dusting his figurine collection. Then, while Lily was gone he got so nervous about her coming to his room that he proceeded to do terrible at every game he played that afternoon. 

His mind was now full of negative thoughts. She was probably just teasing him when she had said she’d come over after her date with Simeon and Luke. Mammon probably put her up to it, that scumbag. They probably had a good laugh together at his expense too. He’d be surprised if she even came back to the House of Lamentation. No doubt she would be packing her bags for Purgatory Hall. He doesn’t realize that he’s transformed in his agitation. 

The knock on his door startles him from his negative thoughts. “Passcode!?” he growls in annoyance. 

“Umm..Levi you still haven’t sent me the passcode.” Lily’s sweet voice drifts softly through his door. 

Lily takes a step back, startled when Levi suddenly swings open his door looking frightening in his demonic form. She can see his tail thrashing behind him. 

“Is it a bad time?” she asks, her muscles bunching, ready to make a mad dash for it. 

Levi gives Lily a perplexed expression.  _ Why does she look scared?  _ He wonders. Then he realizes his horns are out as his tail knocks over a package from Akuzon that he hasn't gotten around to opening yet. 

“Oh! S-s-sorry! I uh...was upset...about losing a game..” he lies and wills his demonic appearance to recede. 

Lily blinks at him wide eyed. It sounds like Leviathan needs to work on his sportsmanship if he’s getting that worked up over a game. Lily wonders if it’s safe to play games with the Avatar of Envy? Well she supposes she’ll be rubbish so he won’t be jealous of her winning...but will he be upset with her for losing? 

“Uh..do you still want to come in?” Levi asks, sheepishly. Lily looks at him, despite his earlier appearance she can feel in her bones that he won’t hurt her, not anymore anyways. 

Lily gives him a bright smile and enters his room. Noting that it looks a bit more organized than the last time she’d been here. “Oh!” she exclaims, remembering. “This is for you.” she fishes out the last of the tarts. 

Leviathan accepts the tart and stares at it as if he’s never seen a tart before in his life. “You got this for me?” he asks and Lily nods. 

“I wasn’t sure what flavor you like best..so I hope you like it. It’s the flavor of the month.” she explains.

"Pfft, like this is supposed to make me happy?” he scoffs.

Lily’s smile falls, “Oh....” she says, not understanding why demons get so touchy over a simple gift of food. She begins to reach out, to take the tart back. Maybe she’ll give it to Beel, he was the only one who seemed appreciative.

“AH I was kidding! WAIT! DON'T TAKE IT BACK!” Levi suddenly yells, pulling his hand away so that Lily can’t take back the tart. He’s hiding his blushing face behind his other hand. Internally he’s cursing himself for acting like such a fool in front of the 3D normie.  _ Pathetic. _ He thinks of himself. 

Lily watches as he rushes over to a mini fridge in his room and puts the tart away. “Uh I’ll just save it for later...i-if that’s okay..” he mumbles. She shrugs. 

Levi looks at her from the corner of his eye, she’s so cute. He curses Asmo.  _ Why couldn’t she have changed into something else before coming over? _ He thinks to himself. 

“All right noob. Listen up! I’m not going to repeat myself okay?” he tells her steering her towards his gaming area. “What games do you play on your D.D.D.?” he asks her. 

“Games?” Lily asks, quizzically. 

Levi sighs into his hands.  _ How did it come to this?  _ He wonders. He rubs at his face with a groan. “Well...I guess we can set you up with an avatar for starters..”

Levi watches as Lily animatedly chooses all the options as he helps her set up her first avatar. His brother’s don’t have the patience to play these sorts of games with him. “Okay now you have to choose what sort of player you want to be.” he tells her. “What sort of weapon do you like? Or maybe you want to be a mage and wield magic?”

Lily thinks for a moment. “Is there a bow?!” she asks. 

“Mmhmm.” Levi clicks through the class options. “Here you can be a Ranger.”

**_An hour later.._ **

“No, no, no!” Levi snaps in exasperation. “I told you! You hold this one and then press this button here!” he explains for the hundredth time. 

Lily sighs, feeling defeated. Using a bow in a video game is much harder than real life! Levi calms himself, feeling the sting of her dejection through their pact. 

“It’s okay..you’ll get the hang of it. I mean, you are the worst player I’ve seen in a long time...but you’ll have the best training you, okay? And I’m not going to allow some noob to bring the guild down alright?”

Lily nods, wondering again what she’s gotten herself into. The first part of the game was much more fun. 

“Hey, Hey, Hey!” Mammon shouts, busting into Levi’s room as if he owns the place. Beel is hot on his heels, carrying a lot of snacks. 

“Ugh, I forgot to lock my door.” Levi groans, glaring at his brothers. Mostly Mammon. 

“Why are you two here? You weren’t invited.” Levi tells them. 

“Ya think I was gonna just let you torture my human all night?” Mammon says as he turns off the current game and begins rummaging through Levi’s games. Lily is a little surprised when Mammon gives her a wink, _ I guess he’s in a better mood now? _ She wonders.

“Stop that!” Levi growls, snatching games from Mammon. 

“Ah here we go!” Mammon says, ignoring Levi. “This is more our speed.” he holds up Devil’s Kart. 

Levi rolls his eyes, “Fine. Put it in.” he resigns himself to being stuck with his brothers for the time being. 

“You can’t play with greasy hands Beel.” Levi says, leveling his little brother with a glare. 

“I’ll just watch.” Beel nods happily, earning another eye roll from Levi.   
  


**_Not much later…_ **

“Aahahaha! You’re really bad at this Lily!” Mammon makes fun of her. At this point Lily can only laugh at herself too. Levi may be disappointed, but she doesn’t think she’s cut out for video games. 

“Shut up Mammon. You’re just happy that there’s someone worse than you now!” Levi says smugly as he wins the race. 

None of them notice the figure that watches them for a moment from the doorway with a wry smirk. 

Eventually Mammon suggests they watch a movie. Levi wants to watch a horror film and Mammon wants to watch Harrison Porter. Beel doesn’t care as long as he gets lots of popcorn. They finally decide on an action movie. 

“That was so dumb.” Levi complains when the movie is finished. 

“What?! It was awesome! Whaddya think Lily?” Mammon asks. 

“Shhh.” Beel says, he’s smiling down at Lily who’s curled up sleeping against Levi’s Ruri-chan body pillow. 

“Wha?! I can’t believe she fell asleep!” Mammon whispers loudly. 

“It probably bored her to death!” Levi hisses. “She’s on Ruri-chan! What am I going to do now?!” he begins to panic at the thought of having the human sleeping in his room. 

“She’s amazing.” Beel comments, in his own world of thoughts.

Mammon gives his little brother a worried look. “Don’t get too attached, Beel.” he warns. “She’ll only be here for this year.”

Beel looks up at Mammon and Levi with a frown. “But we have pacts with her..”

“Ya think that matters?” Mammon interrupts. “She’s just a puny powerless human. She can’t even summon us or draw on our powers. I doubt we’ll ever see her again once she leaves.”

Beel frowns and Levi is oddly silent. They all stare down at their sleeping Mistress with mixed emotions.

  
“I’ll carry her back to her room.” Beel announces.

“Nah, I got her.” Mammon says gruffly. “Asmo will kill ya if ya get your greasy palms on her clothes.” he gives as a weak excuse as he scoops up the sleeping human. 

Lily only rouses slightly from the movement and snuggles into Mammon’s chest. His brother’s are staring at him and his cheeks go red, he hopes they can’t hear the loud thump of his heart. Levi is clutching onto his Ruri-chan pillow as if it's a life raft, sighing in relief when his brothers disappear with the sleeping girl. He wasn’t sure how much more his heart could take as he slumps into his computer chair.

Beel follows Mammon, opening Lily’s door and pulling back her blankets so Mammon can rest her down on her bed. They both stare at her. 

“Uhh...what about her clothes?” Mammon says. “Should we…”

Beel shakes his head sternly. “Just take off her shoes.” he says, wondering if his brother really is an idiot.

Mammon sighs with relief and takes off her shoes, noticing how dainty her feet are.  _ She’s so fragile. So vulnerable.  _ He thinks to himself. He can feel his greed growing inside him. The need to own, possess and protect. 

He coughs, clearing his throat and his thoughts. Beel covers her with the blanket, tucking her in gently before they both leave. Mammon casts one last look back at her sleeping form before closing her door.  
  
  
  



	31. S.A.D.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily deals with an unexpected complication.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Cluelesse once again for helping me edit and spruce up this chapter.

Lily wakes in the morning feeling slightly uncomfortable and confused. Her cheeks flush when she realizes that one of them must have carried her to bed. It’s not embarrassment that has her cheeks flushing though, it’s the warm feeling that comes from someone else taking care of you. Lily can barely remember that feeling. 

Her eyes feel dry and her face oily. She can imagine Asmodeus’s horrified look and another lecture about skin care if he knew she had slept in her makeup. Rising, she quickly changes into more comfortable clothing before padding barefoot out of her bedroom door, down to the small first floor bathroom to clean up for the day.

At breakfast Lily picks at her food and yawns continuously. She’s tired; she’s even oblivious to Lucifer’s glares. Mammon has been receiving texts from the witches all morning so he’s too distracted to notice. 

“Lily darling, I’m heading to the Majolish this afternoon if you want to join me?” Asmodeus offers. 

Lily perks up momentarily at the idea. She does need a few more things and now that her and Asmodeus are getting along again, it should be fun. But then another yawn escapes her. “Sorry Asmodeus. I would love to go another time.” she tells him. 

Asmodeus rolls his eyes, “What about you Satan?” he turns to his brother sitting next to him. Satan merely looks at him as if he’s lost his mind before sticking his nose back into his book. Asmodeus signs and looks across to his older brother. “Mammon?” 

“Huh? What? Uh no, I gotta deal with this.” he waves his phone over his head in exasperation as if everyone should know what he’s talking about. Maybe they do, but Lily is clueless. 

“Fine. I’ll ask someone who actually deserves to bask in my radiance.” Asmo sniffs and pulls out his D.D.D. Presumably to find someone to go shopping with him. 

Levi looks at Lily from the corner of his eyes. He wants to ask her if she’s okay, but he can’t seem to manage it, not in front of all his brothers anyway. 

Her incessant yawning did not escape Lucifer’s notice as he says to her, “Perhaps you should stay in today and rest Lily. I’ll be out at the Castle all day, it’s Cerberus day out in the garden so be sure to stay clear.” 

Lily nods and hopes he can’t see the smile she’s trying to hide. There’s no way she’s keeping away from that adorable beast. “I need to study and finish my homework.” she tells him instead, and he seems satisfied with her answer.

“Good.” Lucifer says. “Some of my brother’s should take note and do the same.” he sends a few pointed glares down the table.

True to her word, Lily spent her morning going over her notes and finishing up her latest essay for History of the Devildom. She has turned down invitations from both Beel and Leviathan to get her work done. Feeling the walls of her room closing in on her, Lily stretches and yawns, before deciding she’s going to defy Lucifer once again.  
  


The Manor is quiet again, the brothers are all either out of the house, or holed up in their rooms doing their own things. Lily walks into the garden, admiring the dark beauty of the place, but yearning for a bit of sunshine. 

“Cerberus! Here boy!” Lily calls out. It only takes a moment for the three headed beast to come bounding into view. After all, the garden isn’t that large and Cerberus is huge. 

Cerberus is delighted to see the little human again. One of his heads nuzzles into her, causing her to giggle. “I missed you too.” she says and then yawns, feeling so lethargic. It doesn’t take long before Lily finds herself curled up in his fur, fast asleep. Her book slipping from her fingers as she dreams of sunlight. 

Later that afternoon, Lucifer finds his D.D.D. blowing up. He tries his best to ignore it until a photo of Lily comes in: She’s fast asleep using Cerberus as a bed. Lucifer clenches his teeth, that girl can’t go a day without defying him it seems. 

“What’s the matter Lucifer?” Diavolo is asking, seeing him distracted.

Lucifer merely snorts and pushes his phone towards him. Diavolo inspects the messages that have come in from some of Lucifer’s brothers. He guffaws loudly when he sees the picture of Lily and her new friend. 

“She’s a curious one, isn’t she?” Diavolo hums. 

“That’s one way to describe her.” Lucifer sighs, massaging his temples. “I'm beginning to question my selection method,” he grumbles.

“Now, now. You know my opinion on that.” Diavolo gently chides and Lucifer has to suppress an eye roll.  _ Oh yes, Diavolo thinks everything happens for a reason. _ Lucifer thinks to himself with derision. 

“Given recent curiosities...I’m even more convinced Lily is here not by mere chance.” Lord Diavolo continues. Lucifer can’t argue that there are peculiarities that surround the girl. “Why don’t you just tell your brother’s to let her be. I doubt Cerberus will harm the girl, at this point.” 

Lucifer begrudgingly agrees and messages his brothers to tell them as such. 

“I’m not so worried about the human as I am worried she will corrupt Cerberus.” Lucifer tells Diavolo. Diavolo laughs heartily as if Lucifer has told him some great joke. Lucifer sighs wearily and gets back to their paperwork.   
  
  
When Lily wakes up she still feels fatigued. But it’s getting late and she supposes she should head back inside. An odd sensation of anxiety reverberates within her. She’s only confused for a moment when she realizes her demons are worried about her.  _ My demons? _ Lily thinks, where did she get that idea from? Shrugging it off, she hurries inside, thankful that Cerberus let’s her go with only a single whine of protest. 

“Oi! Didn’t Lucifer tell ya not to go near that mutt?!” Mammon shouts at her, as soon as she enters the house. “I can’t leave ya for a minute! I can’t tell anymore if you’re just stupid, or if you’re intentionally tryin’ to piss me off!”

Mammon’s fear, anger and a barrage of other feelings seem to batter her through the pact, overwhelming her. Feeling confused and disoriented, Lilly puts her hands over her ears. “Ah! Leave me alone!” she shouts back uncharacteristically, as she runs towards her room trying to escape everything that threatens to overwhelm her. 

“Lily?” Beel calls after her, he’s seen her stand up for herself and others but he’s never seen her snap at any of them. Even when they have been at their worst she’s maintained her composure. He worries for her as she disappears into her room.

“Wow..you really are the lowest of the low Mammon.” Levi scoffs, giving his brother a distasteful look. 

Mammon feels bad. He didn’t mean to push her that far. But what’s the matter with his human? She’s dealt with worse just fine. He was just venting a little, is all. Those damn witches were driving him crazy today. He knows he shouldn’t have taken it out on the human, but what is he supposed to do? He’s a demon after all. 

“You should apologize.” Beel tells Mammon.

“W-Wha?!” Mammon stammers. “T-The Great Mammon doesn’t apologize!”  
  
Beel and Levi both push a flustered looking Mammon towards Lily’s door, but when they try to enter she tells them all to go away. It’s a command and they reluctantly have to obey.   
  


“Where’s Lily? She’s not still outside with Cerberus, is she?” Lucifer asks when they are all assembled for dinner, minus one human. 

“She’s still in her room.” Beel tells Lucifer, contemplating if he needs to fill a plate for her. 

“Yeah. Mammon made her cry. She shouted at him and then told us all to go away.” Levi adds, shooting Mammon a glare. It’s all his fault!

Lucifer let’s the rare eye roll loose. “That’s no reason to miss dinner.”

“Well she commanded us three to leave her alone.” Mammon shrugs. “So what are we supposed to do about it?”

“Don’t look at me.” Satan says when Lucifer looks at his remaining brothers. 

“Sorry Lucifer. I have so much to do tonight!” Asmodeus says. 

  
Later that evening Lucifer goes to Lily’s room to scold her for defying him once again and for missing dinner. She barely eats and Diavolo will be very displeased if the human gets sick on his watch. 

Inside he finds her sleeping. She does sleep abundantly he notes, wondering if humans have only gotten lazier over the centuries. He stands looming over her as she sleeps, he reaches out to shake her shoulder but finds himself frozen when she speaks.

Lucifer watches as her forehead creases when she whispers “Father…” in her sleep. His fist closes and he pulls back. It occurs to him that he doesn’t know anything about this human, aside from the facts listed on her case file. Again he’s struck with a vision of his little sister, a strange sense of deja vu hits him. Recoiling from the girl he decides to leave her to get her rest.

  
Lily wakes to the ping of her D.D.D. message alerts, a dry throat and a slight hunger. Realizing she had fallen asleep in her clothes, she changes into her pajamas before stumbling into the kitchen. She finds some leftover bread to nibble on and pours herself a glass of water before heading back to her room. 

Settling back in bed she opens her messages. 

**House of Lamentation (7)**

**< Mammon:** We’re having a Wedding Day…   
**< Satan: ** ?  
**< Satan:** Wait..are you getting married, Mammon?!

*Asmodeus, Beel and Satan send a string of Celebrating Demon Stickers*

**< Mammon:** No no no  
**< Mammon:** Hey, stop it! Gimme a second to explain.  
**< Asmodeus:** You were referring to the theme for Monday of Spirit Week, right?   
**< Mammon:** Hey! If you knew that, why’d you start congratulating me?!

Lily sighed, they were all so silly. She couldn’t suppress a small giggle though as she read on.

**< Satan:** Spirit Week? Wait, have they made an announcement about that?  
**< Beel: **Yeah. There was an announcement about it from the RAD Newspaper Club.  
**< Mammon:** Wait, you mean you knew about this, too?! Seriously?!  
**< Satan:** Ah, you’re right. I turned off notifications for the RAD account, so I didn’t notice.  
**< Mammon:** Ah, yeah. They never shut up, do they? It’s annoying.  
**< Satan:** Well what do you expect when it’s run by Mephistopheles?   
**< Asmodeus:** Yeah, I know. I turned off notifications for both RAD and Mammon.   
**< Mammon:** **(Confused Demon Sticker)**

**< Satan:** So, for Wedding Day, you think we can just wear a tuxedo?   
**< Asmodeus:** A tuxedo?! How DULL! Weddings are all about wearing DRESSES! Everyone knows that!   
**< Beelzebub:** Well, the best part about Pajama Day is that I won’t even have to put on clothes when I get out of bed that morning.   
**< Leviathan: ** All the themes are for NORMIES! Boring.   
**< Mammon:** It’s all such a pain..I wish they would have just cancelled it along with the monster fair.   
**< Lucifer:** I won’t allow it.   
**< Satan:** What?! Don’t tell me you actually look forward to this each year, Lucifer?

**< Beel:** Well I know I do…   
**< Lucifer:** Actually, if you want to know who looks forward to Spirit Week most of all..   
**< Lucifer: ** That would be Diavolo.   
  
That seemed to shut the rest of them up. Lily thinks it's mildly amusing that RAD has a spirit week so similar to the spirit weeks that human schools host too. She’d always been an outsider so she never really participated when she was in school.  _ It could be fun, _ she thinks to herself. Finishing her glass of water she gets back under her covers and falls asleep. 

  
The next morning Lily fails to show up for breakfast which instantly puts Lucifer in a bad mood after she’s also skipped dinner. “Mammon, make sure that Lily gets to school on time and let her know she’s expected at meals, if she doesn’t want to face a punishment.”

When Mammon, Beel and Levi all go to check on Lily, Asmodeus follows them in as well. He’s already dressed in a large poofy white wedding dress, complete with all the accessories. Lily isn’t sleeping, she’s just lying in the dark, staring listlessly out the window. 

“Oi! What’s the matter with you? Ya missed dinner and breakfast, now!” Mammon shouts. “Ya gotta eat, human.”

“Oh Lily, darling! Just look at what I found for you, when I went shopping yesterday! It’s a bridesmaid dress! You can be my maid of honor today. Hehehe.” Asmo giggles, he flicks on her bedroom light to encourage the human to get out of bed so he can dress her. 

Lily takes in Asmodeus, he looks like the perfect bride. Somehow this doesn’t surprise her. Normally this would lift her spirits and earn a giggle from her but she just closes her eyes and yawns. She’s feeling so tired and melancholy this morning. She just can’t even be bothered to move her limbs let alone get ready for classes. What’s the point anyway?

That’s not the response Asmodeus expected and he pouts. “What’s the matter with your human?” he asks the other three. He thought they were getting along a bit better again, but this is disappointing.

“Are you feeling sick Lily?” Beel asks, looking worried. How anyone can go without dinner AND breakfast, is beyond him. There must be something wrong with her!

“Just tired.” Lily responds so quietly they might not have heard her except for their heightened senses 

“Well, you should still get up Normie…” Levi says. He’s worried if he pushed her too much when he was teaching her his games. “Lucifer’s not happy. He’ll be angry if you miss class.” 

Mammon sighs and mutters something under his breath before he reaches for Lily, planning on pulling her out of bed. “Leave me alone.” Lily says quietly, pulling back from Mammon’s touch. Her words are said gently but there’s a command in them and once again her three demons stand frustrated outside of her room. 

Asmo is still in the room, trying to entice Lily out of bed with the dress he brought to no avail. “Ugh! I don’t have time for this.” he says before leaving dramatically. 

“This is all your fault.” Levi says accusingly to Mammon.

“What?! I didn’t do anything!” Mammon protests. Levi just scoffs: as if that can’t possibly be true. 

  
Lucifer hears the commotion as he’s about to leave for RAD and sees them outside her door. “Where’s Lily?” he asks, not hiding the irritation in his tone.

The three brothers shift nervously. “Did I not tell you to get her up and to class on time?!” Lucifer asks testily. 

“Well, what are we supposed to do when she kicks us out?!” Mammon shrugs. Lucifer sighs and wonders what the human is up to now. He barges into her room. Mammon, Levi and Beel can only crowd her door to watch. 

“Unless you are sick, get out of that bed and get ready for classes at once.” Lucifer demands. 

Lily knows she should get up and out of bed, she’s never been one to laze about. But for some reason she’s overcome with apathy. Even when Lucifer snatches the covers from her bed, she barely blinks, unresponsive. 

Lucifer growls in frustration at the unresponsive human. Grabbing Lily by the shoulders, he lifts her up and onto her feet. “You’ll stop acting like a child and get ready this instant.” he demands, baffled by her behavior. 

Lily tries to take a few steps towards her closet when she lets herself collapse onto the ground. She just sits there, staring blankly. No energy to move or get back up. Her will surrounding her last command has already faded away and Mammon burst through the door. He gently scoops Lily up off the floor, before Lucifer can lose his temper with her anymore. She feels too light in his arms, he feels like she’s lost weight and it’s not surprising with how little she usually eats.

“I think something’s wrong with her, Lucifer.” Mammon says as he tucks her back into bed. Lily draws the blankets over her head as if she hopes to hide from the demons this way.

“Should we get a human doctor?” Levi wonders, when he and Beel have also made their way back into the room. Beel is watching Lily with a concerned expression. 

Lucifer wonders if this is some new game the human is playing, she’s acting quite slothful and he almost wonders if Belphegor has put her up to this. But no...it does seem out of her character, but she’s human and probably capable of any number of idiotic behaviors. 

“Let’s get Solomon’s opinion first.” Lucifer suggests, as much as he hates asking any favors of the sorcerer. 

  
Solomon approaches the House of Lamentation, feeling curious and slightly anxious. Not that he let anything but wry amusement show on his face. When Lucifer, of all demons, called him, he had no choice but to rush right over. What could have happened that the Avatar of Pride would think to call on him? 

When he arrives, it’s Beelzebub who answers the door and ushers him, without courtesy, to Lily's room.

“Finally.” Lucifer sighs in exasperation when Solomon finally enters the room. “I figured I should get the opinion of a human before I made any drastic decisions. What’s wrong with her?” Lucifer indicates to the lump in the bed that Solomon can only assume is Lily. 

Solomon can see the sourness this circumstance has caused for Lucifer. It must have been a hit to his Pride to have to call on the opinion of a lowly human. He does his best to keep his facial expression passive as he sits on the bed next to the lump that is Lily. 

Mammon glares and shifts uneasily. Solomon pulls back the blanket a bit, Lily blinks up at him. She gives him a weak smile in greeting. He presses the back of his hand to her forehead.

“Do ya have to touch her?” Mammon growls. Solomon ignores him of course and Lucifer sends his brother a warning glare. He doesn’t want this to take any longer than it needs to. 

  
“Lily. Are you feeling well?” Solomon asks her, when he deduces that her temperature feels fine. 

She shrugs. She looks drained, lifeless. The cheerful energy and sunshine that normally radiates from her has dimmed considerably. 

“Alright. Why don’t you just get some extra rest today?” Solomon tells her, he tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear and tucks her back in. 

  
Mammon is still glaring at him when he ushers them all out of her room. Once in the parlor he asks them all a series of questions about her recent habits. He himself had seen how worn out she’d seemed the last time he’d been around her. 

“It’s as I suspected then.” Solomon finally concludes but the demons are not following him. “I warned Lord Diavolo about this.” he sighs. 

Lucifer is glaring, impatiently. “Speak plainly and get to the point.”

Solomon sits in an armchair and crosses his legs leisurely as if he is completely at home in the House. “In the Human World it’s not uncommon for humans to become depressed when the season changes. It’s called Seasonal affective disorder.” he begins to explain, leaving the demons baffled. 

“This typically occurs in climates where there is less sunlight at certain times of the year. The Symptoms can include fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal.” Solomon explains. 

“She has been sleeping a lot lately.” Beel confirms. 

Solomon nods. “So you see, a creature such as Lily, who grew up spending more of her time outdoors than in, might have a hard time adjusting to a place like the Devildom where she’s been spending an inordinate amount of time indoors, not to mention the complete lack of sunshine.” 

Lucifer had already caught on awhile ago but now the other three are nodding with understanding. They can remember their own adjustment period going from living in constant brightness to endless dark was a big change.    
  
“I understand what you’re saying Solomon but this seems like a drastic change and suddenly too.” Lucifer says, still skeptical. 

“Yeah.” Mammon chips in. “She seemed fine the other day when we were playing games.”

“But she did fall asleep during the movie and skipped meals.” Beelzebub added, still worried about the meals she’s missed. He just can’t imagine. She must be starving. Just thinking about it makes his own stomach grumble in protest. 

“Well it wasn’t a good movie so I can see why..” Levi mutters under his breath. 

Solomon nods along all the while, “I can see how it might seem sudden to you but we’re not just talking about a change in her mood. This is a biological response. I’d hypothesize that a human with a different sort of disposition may have succumbed much more quickly. Lily is such a tender creature I can only imagine it was her cheerful, positive attitude that carried her as long she lasted.”

Solomon pauses but the demons don’t interject so he continues with his explanation. 

“There’s not a lot of cases to go by, I’ll admit that. But I warned Diavolo that this could happen, when he began talking of bringing normal humans to the Devildom. I theorize that most humans might suffer something similar but that it would be worse than what one would expect in the human world. After all, at home they still have sunlight, just not as much as they need. A complete lack of sunlight is a sudden shock to the human system, a few days of that is fine but at some point the human body just can’t take it any longer and begins to shut down. Affecting not just their body, but their mind and maybe even their soul? Of course, this is all just my theory. In Lily’s case we’re not just talking about a complete lack of sunlight either but other factors such as fear, culture shock and being around magic and demonic powers for the first time ever.”

“Huh.” Mammon rubs his neck. “I never really thought about that.”

Solomon chuckles. “Well why would you? It’s all perfectly normal to you at this point.” he shrugs. “But even I can’t stand to stay in the Devildom for too long without breaks. Humans are creatures of the Earth and sunlight is vital to our wellbeing.”

Beel is looking sad as he thinks about what Mammon had told him about getting too attached to Lily, Solomon was right. Lily didn’t belong here in the Devildom, she belonged in the sunlight.

Levi listens anxiously.  _ Will they send Lily back sooner? _ He wonders. He doesn't want her to be sick..but he can’t stand the idea of losing his new friend so quickly. It wasn’t fair!

“Besides all of that...I’ve never met an ordinary human being who secured three pacts in what? Less than a month?” Solomon can’t help but smile. “As impressive as it is, we just don’t know what effects that could have on a human such as Lily.”

“Yes, yes, but how do we fix her?” Lucifer growls impatiently. They’ve already missed the student council meeting and who knows what sort of things Satan and Asmodeus, may have said to Diavolo by now. 

“Well, I’d start with light therapy..vitamins..” Solomon strokes his chin in thought. “Try not to stress her out too much, go easy on her and let her go at her own pace.” he suggests. “Get her out of this house more often and as I told Lord Diavolo, breaks to the human world will probably be vital. If you have errands to do there, I suggest you take her with you.” 

Lucifer sighs and rubs his temples. “Very well. I’ll let her go back to classes at her own pace.” He agrees. “Someone is going to have to stay here each day and keep an eye on her though.”

“All right! I got this.” Mammon says, liking the prospect of missing classes. “Just leave it to her official guardian, the Great Mammon.” he chuckles. 

Lucifer levels Mammon with a glare. “No you will not. You need to get your grades up. Everyone else will take turns.”

“What?!” Mammon wants to protest but by the look in Lucifer’s eye he can tell he shouldn’t push him too far today. 

“Leviathan you’ll stay with her today. Solomon, I’ll excuse you from today’s classes as well, if you can stay back and give Leviathan more info on possible treatments.” 

“I’d be delighted to help.” Solomon smiles and gives Mammon a smug look. Mammon is growling, completely displeased by the turn of events. Levi however is excited at the prospect of staying home. He gets along with Solomon just fine and if they can figure this thing out with Lily, then they will probably have time to play games or talk about TSL.

“Okay, I’ll watch Lily tomorrow then.” Beel states. “Come on Mammon, let’s go to class.”

“Keep an eye on that shady Sorcerer!” Mammon barks at Levi before reluctantly following Beel out the door.


	32. Nursemaids Solomon and Levi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Solomon take care of Lily

Levi has been sitting in a chair next to Lily, she’s so deep in her covers that he can barely see her but he knows she’s still awake by her breathing and the rate of her heart. He’s playing Mononoke Land on his D.D.D. but it’s hard to focus when his thoughts and eyes keep straying back to the human next to him. 

Solomon left for the kitchens not long ago. He told Leviathan he is going to whip up some sort of potion or elixir for Lily. Once Lily slips off to sleep, Levi decides to go check on Solomon. It’s a good thing he did too, because when he enters the kitchen, Solomon is cooking!

“W-what are you doing?!” Levi asks, unable to hide the alarm from his voice. “I thought you were supposed to be making a potion?”

Solomon turns his head, a pleasant smile on his face. “Oh I did.” he says, nodding to the bottle of Elixir on the counter. “Then I thought to myself...I’m sure Lily would appreciate some human world comfort food.”

Levi gulps and cautiously moves to where Solomon is and peeks into the pot. “What is it?” He’s almost too afraid to ask.

“Chicken noodle soup.” Solomon beams. “Want a taste?”

“No!” Levi shouts a little too loudly, causing Solomon’s eyes to widen a fraction. “I-I mean. I can’t really stomach human food..” he lies. 

Solomon smiles and shrugs his shoulders. “Suit yourself.”

“Where did you get the ingredients to make human food anyway?” Levi asks suspiciously. 

“Oh well I had to use Devildom ingredients unfortunately.” Solomon hums. “But roast roc is a fine substitute and I found some other greens that should suit..I think it will have the same flavor profile.”

“I see.” Levi nods. “Well I’m going to go back to Lily now..” _This is sooo bad!_ Levi thinks to himself in a panic as he leaves the kitchen. There’s no way he can let Lily eat Solomon’s cooking! It might kill her! It’s his duty to protect his Henry. There was no way the Lord of Shadows would let Henry be poisoned on his watch! No way! He had to think of a plan fast. 

  
Levi sees that Lily is still fast asleep. Hopefully this will buy him some time. He immediately get’s on to Akuzon. Sometimes they sell exotic goods, like human world food. What did Solomon call it again? Oh yeah...Chicken noodle soup...he types it into the search bar. 

SUCCESS! He almost shouts, but he doesn’t want to wake up Lily. Ordering all the cans they have, Levi checks out with his super elite shipping preference. Then he pays extra to expedite it IMMEDIATELY! It’s expensive but it will be worth it if he can spare Lily food poisoning. He’s not cheap like Mammon. Just further proving that he’s the superior demon in her trio of pacts. 

Levi waits nervously for the canned soup to arrive, watching Solomon ladle his foul soup into a bowl and arranging a tray. Levi narrows his eyes as he watches Solomon from the doorway. He’s taking a lot of care into arranging that tray, he’s even conjured some flowers in a small vase. It isn’t a Devildom flower so he assumes it comes from the Human World. 

Quickly he peeks in on Lily, and thank Diavolo she’s still sleeping soundly. Solomon is humming a little tune as he carries the tray to Lily's room. Levi has to wait anxiously to see if the sorcerer is going to attempt to wake her. Fortunately, he does not. 

Just then the doorbell rings. Solomon looks up from the chair at Lily’s bedside. “I wonder who that could be?”

“Oh! That’s just my akuzon delivery!” Levi says in a rush. “Um..I ordered some new figurines and mangas..the usual!” he explains quickly. “I’ll uh...be back soon.”

Levi rushes to the door and collects all the cans of soup. He has to be cautious and move quietly since Lily’s room is right next to the kitchen. He loudly runs up the stairs pretending to go to his bedroom like Solomon would expect. Then he silently makes his way back to the kitchen.

Very carefully and quietly he takes Solomon’s pot of soup and dumps it in the back garden. “Sorry.” he mutters to the plants he probably just murdered by dumping Solomon’s slop on top of them. He’s never actually eaten Solomon’s cooking himself. But he’ll never forget how sick Asmodeus returned to them one time after Solomon had summoned him to the human world. Asmo warned them all, never, ever, under any circumstances eat Solomon’s food. 

If Solomon’s cooking could make a demon sick like that, surely it could kill a fragile little human such as Lily? Setting the pot back over the fire, he uses a quick cleaning spell to rid every last trace of Solomon’s soup from the pot. He reads the directions on the cans of soup. Just add water. That’s easy enough! 

A little while later Levi is proud of himself, he’s replaced Solomon’s soup with something edible. Now he just has to take care of the one bowl that’s in Lily’s room. Entering Lily’s room he sits down at her table and pretends to play on his phone. 

“Good morning. Or should I say good afternoon?” Solomon chuckles softly and Levi’s head snaps up to attention. Lily has woken up! Solomon wastes no time pulling the tray in front of Lily. 

“I made you some food, you must be hungry by now.” Solomon coaxes Lily. 

Levi watches as she shakes her head no. He sags in relief. 

“You have to eat Lily. You need your strength.” Solomon says to her, his tone a bit more stern. “I made chicken noodle soup.”

Levi glares at Solomon when he sees her perk up at the mention of the human world soup. “Okay.” she agrees lethargically.

Solomon is standing to help Lily sit up when Levi jumps up. “I-I'll do it!” he rushes over and reaches for Lily. Accidentally knocking over the tray of food, the soup spills all over the floor. 

Levi is blushing, hiding his face behind his hand. “S-ssorry!” 

A flash of annoyance crosses Solomon’s features before his usual unaffected demeanor takes over. “That’s alright. I made plenty.” he chuckles. 

Lily is blinking at the two of them owlishly. There’s tension in the air and it’s making her tired again. 

“I’ll clean this up.” Levi says. 

“No need.” Solomon quips. Brandishing his wand he performs a cleaning spell. Everything rights itself back into the tray as it had been but to Levi’s relief the soup is still gone. “I’ll just go refill this bowl.” Solomon smiles at Lily before leaving for the kitchen with the tray. 

Levi sags with relief when Solomon leaves. That was close! He arranges Lily's pillows and blushes for real as he gently helps her into a comfortable position. Lily smiles at him but Levi can’t help noticing that it’s not her usual warm, happy smile. It’s a sad smile.

Lily wants to say something but the words seem to be stuck on her tongue. She’s never felt like this in her life, she doesn’t understand what’s wrong with her. She can’t stand the thought of being a burden.

Solomon returns with a fresh bowl of soup, completely oblivious to the fact that it was replaced. Levi retreats back to the table to play Mononoke Land. 

“Well? How is it?” Solomon asks, almost sounding anxious. Levi can’t help watching them from the corner of his eye. 

Lily’s eyes brighten considerably and she gives Solomon a warm happy smile. “It’s really good!” she says, sounding more like herself than she has all day. 

Levi can’t help the burning jealousy the boils up inside. Lily will never know the lengths he went to for her sake today. That Solomon get’s her affections...it’s just not fair!

“I-I'll be b-back later.” Levi mumbles as he makes for the door and escapes to his own room. He can’t stand to watch them another second, he needs time to cool down. 

Lily watches Levi leave curiously, she can feel his agitation and jealousy vibrating through their pact. She can’t fathom what he’s upset about but she also can’t really bring herself to care at this moment either. 

Taking another bite of the soup she notices the small vase with a single white Lily. Tears begin to fall down her cheeks and she anxiously tries to rub them away with a sleeve. Solomon pulls her arm away and gently wipes her tears away with his thumbs. 

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Lily asks through her sniffles. 

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Solomon asks her with a wry smirk. “Us humans have to look out for one another don’t we?” 

Lily shrugs. She’d never been shown a whole lot of consideration from her fellow man when she lived in the human world. Solomon urges her to keep eating and she does. She hadn’t realized just how hungry she’d been and this soup was like a taste from home. 

Solomon’s fingers trace the contours of the Lily flower’s petal. “You quite live up to your namesake don’t you? Pure, innocent...Lilies are a hardy flower but they flourish best in full sunlight.” he muses quietly.

Lily doesn’t know what to make of the strange sorcerer. At first he seemed very aloof and detached. Ever since the camping trip he’s been nothing but kind and helpful to her. 

Pushing away the empty bowl of soup, Lily feels a bit more like herself. She’s feeling extremely embarrassed for her behavior earlier now that she’s thinking about it with a more clear head. She leans back and covers her face with her hands, her face flushing red.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” her words are muffled behind her hands. She can’t imagine how upset Lucifer must be with her right now. 

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Solomon tries to assure her. She feels his warm hand on the top of her head, he gently smooths her hair. She peeks at him from between her fingers.

“You’re merely suffering the side effects of being dragged into the Devildom. The complete lack of sunlight and other stressors you’ve been under have finally taken a toll on your body and mind.” He explains to her. “In other words, your body had enough and rebelled against you.”

“Has this happened to you before?” she asks him, curiously.

“Hmm. No.” Solomon chuckles when Lily seems distraught at being the only one. He doesn’t want her to feel weak because she’s far from it. “However, there’s several differences. I knew all about the Devildom and it’s inhabitants before I ever visited, I have magic to protect me and I know my limits and I frequently visit the human world, just so I can avoid this.” He explains, smiling when she seems to relax.

“Here I made this for you.” Solomon hands her a small bottle that he retrieves from his robes. “It’s a basic elixir, but it should help you feel better temporarily.”

Lily accepts the bottle and pulls on the cork stopper and takes a sniff. Her nose wrinkles. “What’s in it?” she asks, dubiously. 

Solomon chuckles. “Some things are best not knowing.” he tells her with a smirk. “Come on now, down the hatch.”

Lily plugs her nose with one hand and chugs the contents of the bottle. Coughing and sputtering once it’s done, Solomon hands her a glass of water. She accepts gratefully and tries to wash away the lingering bitterness from her mouth. Afterwards she feels more herself than she has all morning, the fog cleared from her mind. But she still feels exhausted. 

“Good girl.” Solomon says in an amused tone. Earning himself a bit of a doubtful look from Lily. “You stay here, get some more rest. I’m going to go find Leviathan.”

Lily nods her understanding as she sinks back into her soft bed and warm covers. Solomon picks up the tray and takes it back to the Kitchen. 

Solomon didn’t have to go far at all to find Leviathan. The demon only went to sulk in his room for a moment before he came back down to pace outside of Lily’s room. Mammon did tell him to keep an eye on things after all. At least that was the excuse he was giving himself.

“Ah, Leviathan.” Solomon gives the demon a knowing look. “I’m going to go back to my workbench at Purgatory Hall. I’ll be back later...possibly not until tomorrow morning.”

Leviathan stares at Solomon with conflicted feelings. Part of him is glad to see him go, another part of him is anxious to be left alone looking after Lily. “O-okay.” he finally mumbles. 

As Solomon takes his leave of the House of Lamentation, he takes out his D.D.D. and sends off two messages. One to Barbatos and another to Simeon. 

When Leviathan finally finds the courage to enter Lily’s room again he’s relieved to find her fast asleep. Sitting next to her he tries to stave off his boredom by playing Mononoke Land. 

**Hours later..**

“YES!” Leviathan pumps his fist in the air when he successfully captures a super exclusive and rare spirit. He’s quick to cover his mouth and glance Lily’s way. He sags with relief when he finds she’s still sleeping and his sudden outburst did not wake her. 

Not much later Leviathan is finding himself becoming bored and restless. There’s not much of interest in her room, the only decoration she has is the small picture frame on her bedside table. Leviathan picks up the frame and stares at the family of three. Lily is very young in the photo, her hair is blonde but he can recognize her by her big, wide, violet eyes. 

He wonders if she misses them, she’s never talked about her family. Not that any of them have ever asked…It’s been a long time since he’s thought about Lilith but ever since Lily came crashing into their lives he thinks about her frequently.

Lilith may have been closer to Beel and Belphie but she was his best friend. Sometimes he felt like she was the only one who ever listened and tried to understand him. She was the only one who really put in the effort to make him feel useful, after he became a waste of space in the Celestial Realm.

A whimper catches his attention and stirs him from his own sad thoughts. He carefully sets her photo back down. Lily is still asleep but there’s a frown on her face. She looks like she’s in distress. “Father...Father..No!” she whimpers in her sleep, her words he can barely make out. 

“Lily!” Leviathan jumps up and shakes her shoulders a little too roughly to wake her in his distress. He doesn’t like the emotions that are barrelling down their pact, he needs to wake her. 

“Lily, wake up!”

Her eyes fly open and at first she screams, Levi jumps back started by the fear in her eyes. As she fully wakes up she realizes it’s just Levi and calms. Sitting up, she reaches for her family photograph and clutches it to her chest as her tears begin flowing. 

Leviathan is frozen. _Think...think..what would the Lord of Shadows do?_ He asks himself. The answer is obvious but he’s nervous. He’s cut himself off from affection and touch for so long it feels unnatural now. 

Carefully he sits next to her, he hopes he doesn’t frighten her. His nerves have brought out his demon form. Slowly, with hesitation, he rests a hand on her back and gives her a light pat. This is all it takes for Lily to turn in towards him, clutching his shirt she cries silently, her face hidden against his chest. 

Leviathan has to resist the urge to panic and run away. This is Lily, this is his Henry after all. Gathering his courage he settles his large arms around her. Lily is so distressed she doesn’t even react when his tail wraps around her as well, anchoring her. 

For Lily it feels as if it's been a lifetime since she was able to cry and be held. Once her mom was gone she had to be strong for her Dad. The older she got, the more her Father seemed to fall apart. The more she had to take care of him. So she hid her tears and when she let them out she was always alone. 

Leviathan’s heartbeat is still pounding erratically by the time Lily’s own heart rate begins to calm down. “D-did you h-have a b-bad dream?” He finally asks her. 

Lily doesn’t speak, she only nods her head. Her hair creates a curtain around her face that still rests against his chest. He can’t see her face but that’s probably for the best. 

“D-do you want to tell me what it was about?” Leviathan asks awkwardly. She shakes her head no. He’s not sure if he should be upset that she won’t confide in him or relieved. 

Lily can’t understand why she feels so good being held by Leviathan. Especially after the dream she just had. She shudders just thinking about it. Levi has tried to attack her not that long ago, is she so touch deprived, so deprived of affection that she can even find comfort in the arms of a dangerous demon? She doesn’t know if she’s crazy or not. She just knows that she feels safe and she doesn’t want to let go of that feeling. 

Too soon Levi is pulling her away from him. Leviathan gulps when Lily’s large, violet eyes look up at him. Her eyes are red, puffy and tears stain her pretty cheeks. Despite everything Lily finds herself smiling, amused by Levi’s attempts to wipe her tears away. Awkward and rough compared to Solomon’s gentle touch earlier. 

“These are your parents?” Levi asks, picking up the picture frame between them. Lily nods, taking the frame and setting it back in its place. She smiles fondly at them as her heart aches for the simple, happy days of her early childhood. 

“My mom died maybe a year after that photo was taken.” she explains, her voice somber. “Then it was just me and Dad.”

Levi thinks about what Lily said in her sleep. “You must miss your father then?” He can’t relate to her. He never had a mom, only a father he resents. 

Lily gives him a subdued smile. “After mom died we moved to a secluded part of the woods, just a little cabin for me and him. When I was sixteen he vanished. So..I was used to being alone. But yes...some days I do miss him terribly.” she admits, her voice trembling a bit at the end as she tries to hold back another flurry of tears. 

“Ugh. I’m sorry. I never cry.” she says in a frustrated tone as she bats angrily at her fresh tears with her sleeves. She’s not even this emotional when she’s having her cycle, for crying out loud!

If Lily grew up in isolation like that, then she was basically a shut in like him? He can relate to being lonely. Even if his isolation is self imposed. No one understands him! It’s not fair. But maybe Lily can? Leviathan squeezes her a bit with his tail subconsciously. 

“Oh?!” Lily gasps when she realizes for the first time that she’s wrapped up in Levi’s tail. 

“S-sorry!” Leviathan begins to panic a bit as he quickly pulls his tail away from her. She looks up at him in wonder, as if she’s just seeing him for the first time. 

“W-what?! W-why are you l-looking at me l-like that?!” Levi says, hiding his face behind a hand. 

Lily gives him a bashful smile. She’s never had the chance to see any of them upclose in their demon forms like this. With Levi sitting next to her, a blushing, embarrassed mess. He seems so human to her despite his appearance. Without the rage contorting his features and the fear of attack, she realizes how interesting and beautiful he is to look at. 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.” she finally says. Levi is trying to will away his demonic form, but she’s made him too nervous. _Ahh! I’m so pathetic. I can’t stand it._ He thinks to himself.

“You’re just so beautiful.” Lily blurts.

“I know..I’m just a gross- WHA?! B-b-beautiful?!” Levi stutters in shock. 

Lily feels embarrassed, she supposes that a lot of males, human or otherwise don’t want to be called beautiful. _Ugh! He’s going to think I’m so weird on top of everything else!_ Lily laments to herself. 

“I-I mean..it’s cool. I like it..when you’re not threatening my life anyway.” she laughs nervously. 

Levi feels so confused but he can feel her genuine nature through their pact. “You think it’s c-cool?” 

Lily nods shyly. Leviathan slowly let’s his tail coil back between them on the bed. He watches as she slowly reaches out and softly strokes her palm down a length of his tail. The feeling of it makes him shudder. Lily pulls back quickly at his reaction. 

“I-it’s okay..” Levi says but he’s blushing and not meeting her gaze. “You don’t t-think it’s g-gross?”

“No.” Lily tells him sincerely. “It’s just like a...big snake.” she says with a small giggle. 

Leviathan narrows his gaze at her. He can feel no deception but he can’t help feeling like she’s making fun of him. “Aren’t human girls afraid of snakes?” he asks her suspiciously. 

Lily shrugs. “A lot of people are afraid of snakes. I like most animals though….you should always have a healthy respect for the creatures that can harm you.” she explains. 

Lily gasps and she thinks of something. All the demons seem to have fangs, not like movie vampires but their canines are definitely sharper than human teeth. “You’re not venomous are you?” she asks inquisitively, her head cocked to the side. She has a strong urge to inspect his teeth. She assumes that would be very rude though. 

Leviathan laughs, it’s loud and the most genuine happy sound she’s heard him make since she’s met him. She gets a good view of those sharp teeth while he does. 

“You’re such a weirdo Lily.” Levi tells her happily. “No, I’m not venomous.”

Lily blushes but she’s glad to see Levi like this. He’s usually so moody and gloomy about everything. She really wants to touch his horns but Levi seems to be uncomfortable with being touched and she doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable. She’s just curious.

“Are you feeling better?” he finally asks her after a moment of awkward silence.

“I still feel really tired but that soup and the elixir Solomon gave me did a lot for my head. I feel more like myself.” she tells him with a fond smile. “Solomon is your friend right? I didn’t know what to think of him at first, but he’s been very kind to me.”

Leviathan wants to blurt out about the soup. He wants to tell her how he saved her from being poisoned. For some reason he holds his tongue though. “I wouldn’t say Solomon is my friend…” he says instead.

Lily frowns. “But he went to your room, he even knew your secret phrase?” 

Leviathan shrugs. “Our family has known him most of his life. He’s one of the few people I can talk to about TSL...but I don’t trust him.” 

“Why?” Lily wants to know. 

“Lots of reasons.” he tells her seriously. “One, Lucifer doesn’t trust him and that’s usually a good enough reason for me. Two, he’s vague and unpredictable. You never know what his real intentions are and he’ll never tell you either.” Levi keeps the third reason to himself, the part where Solomon’s cooking may kill you.

Lily nods along. She can understand his reasoning but she can’t ignore the way he’s treated her either. She’s never been one to judge people off of other people’s opinions and experiences. All these thoughts are bogging down her brain again. She yawns loudly. She’s never been one to stay in bed for so long, she’s rarely gotten sick in her life and she’s not used to so much inactivity. 

“I’m bored.” she says between another yawn.

“Hmm. Lucifer and Mammon would probably kill you and me if I let you out of your room…” Levi muses. “But we could watch some anime?” he suggests hopefully. 

Leviathan is ecstatic when Lily agrees. He didn’t know how much more Mononoke Land he could stand to play today. “All right! I’ll be right back!” he tells her excitedly. Lily begins to feel a bit lonely and anxious as soon as she’s alone in her room again. She sighs in relief when Levi returns with a giant stack of DVDs. 

When he finally stops explaining almost the entire plot of the show, he pops the DVD in and goes to sit in the chair. Lily still feels lonely. His embrace earlier felt so nice and she finds herself aching for that sort of assurance right now. 

“Levi…” She calls his name quietly. Feeling shy. 

“Hmm?” He glances her way. “Do you need something before we start?”

Lily feels her face becoming hot. “Would you sit with me again?”

Now Levi’s cheeks turn as red as hers feels. “Y-you want me to?” he questions. 

She looks down at her hands in her lap bashfully. “You made me feel safe earlier…” She struggles to put her feelings into words. 

Leviathan is filled with a warm feeling. _I made her feel safe? ME?_ Leviathan can barely believe it. Part of his brain still thinks it’s a trick. He’s been worthless for so long, the only thing he’s good for is being a gross otaku these days and before that the only feeling he brought to a human was dread, foreboding. 

While he’s thinking, his body is moving on it’s own and before he realizes what he’s done, he’s sitting next to her. The show is starting and Lily shyly rests her head against his shoulder as she faces the TV in her room. “Is this okay?” she asks. 

Leviathan gulps and resists the urge to flee. “Uh..y-yeah.” he finally spits out. He tries to relax as the show begins but he’s hyper aware of her breath against his arm, her steady heartbeat and her pleasant aroma. Lily only makes it through two episodes before she falls asleep. Levi feels more relaxed once she’s asleep. A surge of protective possessiveness rises up within him, it scares him. Nothing good has ever come of feelings like these. Especially when it comes to living, breathing non-two-dimensional beings. Without meaning to, Leviathan joins her in sleep not long after. 

This is how Asmodeus finds them, he’s the first to return from RAD that day. “Ooh ho ho!” he giggles. “I never thought I’d see the day!” he whispers to himself as he takes out his phone to take several pictures. 

“Try to deny that this happened big brother and I’ll have the proof right here.” Asmodeus giggles wickedly. Now he’s happy he indulged his whimsy to check in on the little human. And just because he loves pissing off his other older brother, he sends a copy of the picture to Mammon with a wicked laugh as he walks back to his room. 


	33. Artificial Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solomon comes up with a treatment plan for Lily

**_The Day before…_ **

Mammon is heading back home with the rest of his brother’s when he gets a text alert from Asmodeus. Mammon feels an irrational sort of feeling bubble up when he sees a picture on his D.D.D. and Lily and Levi sleeping together in her bed. 

“What the?” Mammon growls. 

“What?” Beel asks, and peeks over his brother’s shoulder. When Beel sees the photo he smiles. “Cute.”

“Cute?! There’s nothin’ cute about it Beel!” Mammon shouts.

“What are you shouting about now?” Satan asks angrily. The only thing worse than Mammon's loud mouth is Lucifer. 

“Look how cute they are.” Beel says, grabbing Mammon’s D.D.D. and proudly showing off his little human to Satan and Lucifer. 

Satan scowls at Mammon. “Why are you throwing a fit about this?” he demands. If there’s anything amazing about that picture it's that Levi has allowed someone inside his bubble. If anything, it’s worth celebrating.

Mammon sputters. “He’s sleepin’ with my human!”

“Fully clothed, he’s not even under the covers with her. If anything you should be proud of Leviathan.” Satan scolds. 

“Y-yeah w-well that ain’t the point!” Mammon is grasping for valid arguments and coming up empty handed. “He’s...he’s sleepin’ on the job!” he finally declares. 

“Well I’ll set him straight.” Mammon says mostly to himself as he pushes up his sleeves and begins to pick up his pace.

  
Oof! Suddenly Mammon is stopped short as Lucifer finally reacts. With his hands firmly on his collar, this is the reason Mammon doesn’t wear his uniform properly, too many times getting choked out by Lucifer. 

“You’ll leave them alone.” Lucifer orders. “The human needs her rest and I’ll not allow you to cause a ruckus and give us more setbacks.”

Lucifer shakes him roughly when Mammon begins to open his mouth. “Should I hang you from the rafters preemptively? Hmm?” Lucifer threatens and gives Mammon another shake for good measure before releasing him in a brusque manner. 

Mammon isn’t happy but he keeps his mouth shut. _Levi is gonna get it when he comes outta that room._ He thinks to himself. 

Levi wakes up with a start, disorientated by his surroundings. There’s something soft leaning against him. He freezes when he realizes what happened. The nice, warm feelings are fleeting. He carefully removes himself, holding his breath. He doesn’t want to wake her. The tension leaves his body when he is able to make it into the hallway.

Based on the sounds and smells in the house, it must be dinner time. He’s making his way to the dining room when he can hear his brothers teasing Mammon.

“So Mammon, how does it feel to have your girl stolen right from under your nose?” Asmo giggles. “To think our Leviathan had it in him this whole time.”

Mammon immediately starts yelling but Levi blocks it all out as he decides to hide in his room until this blows over. He can eat game rations tonight. There’s no way he’s dealing with THAT after what he had to endure today.

  
Mammon has been waiting in his room since he finished cleaning up the kitchen and dishes. Lucifer’s punishment to him for causing a ruckus at the table. His brother’s just didn’t know when to shut their damn mouths. Now he’s just waiting for Levi to walk past his room so he can teach him a lesson. Hours tick by, the house is still and silent and Mammon’s patience is long gone. Zipping down to Lily’s room he is half surprised that Lucifer didn’t pounce on him the moment he touched her door handle. 

Stepping into her room, even in the pitch dark he can see that Levi is no longer in her room. Mammon growls in frustration that his brother was able to sneak out and pull one over him. He’d be having a long talk with Levi on how things were supposed to be. 

At the sound of the low growling, Lily sits up in bed startled. Her human eyes can’t make out anything in the dark room and she immediately switches on her table lamp. _Shit. Lucifer is gonna kill me._ Mammon thinks to himself as he zips to her bedside. 

“Shhh. Shh. It’s just the Great Mammon coming to check up on his human.” he tells her, thankful that she didn’t scream. 

Lily sags in relief, when she blinks up at Mammon. He scratches the back of his neck nervously as she stares at him in silence. “Uh..Do ya need anything?” he finally says.

When she shakes her head no, Mammon sighs and goes to turn and make his escape. He never bought a new air mattress since Beel ruined her room so he hadn’t been staying over since her return.

“Mammon.” Lily says, her voice is quiet and strained. 

He pauses without looking back. “Ya?”

There’s a moment of silence before Lily says, in the most vulnerable voice he’s ever heard come out of her. “Can you stay?”

Mammon is glad that he’s still turned away from her so she doesn’t see the instant grin and blushing cheeks that he’s sporting now. So his human needs him huh? Schooling his features he turns around and huffs. “Ya really are a lot of work ya know that? But sure, I’ll stay. So don’t say I wasn’t ever generous with ya.”

Too worn out to care about Mammon’s contrary attitude, she gives him a small smile and turns out the light. Mammon is about to sit in the chair when she scoots over and opens up the blankets for him on her bed. 

Mammon’s mouth opens and closes more than once. But for once he wisely keeps it shut. Lily’s back is already turned to him as she curls up on her side. She’s already drifting back to sleep when she hears the sound of rustling clothes hitting the floor. Her eyes go wide.

"What are you doing?!” she squeaks.

“Huh? I can’t sleep in my clothes now can I?” Mammon says as he continues to undress. 

“Can’t you go get your pajamas?” Lily asks quickly.

“Uh..I don’t got any. I normally sleep au natural.” he jokes. Before Lily can’t make more than a sound of protest Mammon says. “Don’t worry I’ll keep my tshirt and boxers on okay?”

“Okay.” Lily says with a sigh of relief, a second away from rescinding her invitation. 

She feels the bed shift under his weight as he lays down. He’s not touching her but she can already feel his heat adding warmth beneath the covers. Her lids are already heavy again when she whispers a small thank you before drifting back asleep.

Mammon lays on his back, his arms under his head until she’s fully asleep. Suddenly he’s not so mad at Levi anymore. Maybe he’ll even go easy on him tomorrow. Rolling over he wraps Lily up in a protective embrace. 

**That Morning...**

Lily’s dreaming about the beach, the sun is bright and she can smell the salty sea breeze as she builds a sand castle with her mother. Her mother’s beautiful smile beams down at her, it’s brightness competes with the sun. 

“Ahahaha! You’re such a hypocrite Mammon!”

“Oy! Get out Asmo!”

“Huh? Why’s everyone in here?! Why’s it so bright? Ugh.”

The voices jostle Lily from her pleasant dream. She blinks, then blinks again and closes her eyes against the brightness that assaults her eyes. Her brain feels heavy and full of fog as she tries to wake up and make sense of her surroundings. 

“You woke her up. Get out! Both of you!” Lucifer’s angry tone helps her become more alert. She feels someone leaving her bed, her eyes fly open as she sees Mammon speedily collecting his clothes and chasing Asmo out of her room. Then she remembers that she had asked him to stay last night, not wanting to be left alone. Her cheeks flush when she realizes that not only Lucifer, but Simeon and Solomon are also in her room. 

  
Solomon is holding something round and bright, it’s the brightest source of light she’s seen since coming to the Devildom and her eyes are having a hard time adjusting to it. “Good morning Lily.” Simeon beams at her in his congenial way. “How are you feeling this morning?” the angel takes the chair next to her beside. Leaving Solomon as he installs the bright light. 

Lily feels overwhelmed and her head is hammering in her skull. It’s hard to respond to Simeon with the ringing in her ears. 

“My head hurts.” she finally manages, still squinting against the bright light. 

“Ahh.” Simeon acknowledges her and begins to take a glove off his hand. “Let me help you with that.”

“Simeon.” Lucifer hisses in warning, scowling at the angel. 

Lily can’t help but jump at Lucifer’s tone as she’s feeling hyper sensitive to light and sound. Simeon only chuckles in response to Lucifer. “It’s nothing to fuss over.”

Lucifer doesn’t look pleased at all when Simeon brushes hair out of Lily’s face. She’s surprised at his familiar touch, “Be at ease. It won’t hurt.” he assures her as he cups her face. His thumb gently strokes her check, above her brow and her temples. His touch is soft and warm and she feels the migraine recede into a dull pang. 

Lily is in awe, did Simeon just use healing powers on her? She wants to ask so many questions but before she can voice even a thank you, Solomon appears to have finished his task.

  
“Simeon I’m ready for you now.” he says with excitement. Either having ignored or been oblivious to the tension in the room. 

“You have to wait.” Lucifer reminds Solomon, who frowns. Lily wonders what they are talking about and why they’ve installed this bright light in her room.

“Oh, right. Well I hope they don’t take too long.” Solomon says, almost sounding like a child who has been told to wait before he opens his presents. His eyes drift over to Lily. He smiles.

“Lily! You must be hungry.” he says, knowing how much she enjoyed his soup yesterday, maybe he should make her something for breakfast.

As if reading Solomon’s mind, Lucifer interjects. “Satan is already making her a hearty breakfast.”

Lily sags a bit hearing this. She’s afraid to know what Lucifer means by a hearty breakfast. The soup that Solomon had given her last night had been the perfect comfort and she’d prefer if he made her a human world breakfast. Still, she doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t want to seem ungrateful.

  
Her thoughts are soon interrupted by two more visitors barging into her room. She’s embarrassed all over again when she sees that it’s Lord Diavolo and Barbatos. Is this who Solomon had to wait for? She wants to hide beneath her covers again but she doesn’t want to appear any weaker than she already does. Lily has never been vain. She’s never been one to worry about dressing a certain way or trying to impress people with her looks. But having so many men in her bedroom when she’s not properly dressed, brushed her teeth or even put a comb through her hair is embarrassing.

“Miss Lily.” Barbatos greets her formally. “Please excuse our intrusion into your privacy.” he tells her as if he knows how uncomfortable she is right now. 

“Lily. I’m sorry I didn’t prepare better for this. You humans are such interesting creatures” Lord Diavolo chuckles. “Don’t worry with any luck we’ll have you right as rain.” he smiles jovially at her. 

Lily blinks owlishly and only manages a small smile in return.

*ahem* Lucifer clears his throat. “Shall we get on with it?”

“Right. So this is your invention Solomon?” Diavolo looks at the round lamp, squinting against the brightness. 

“Yes, I had Barbatos procure me a sunlamp from the human world and with some modifications I came up with what I hope will be a successful treatment plan for Lily.” Solomon explains with enthusiasm. “Now to enhance the effects I’d like to infuse the lamp with some celestial light for extra healing properties.” 

“Ah I see. So you wanted my permission for Simeon to use his celestial powers” Diavolo says more of a statement than a question. 

He only takes a beat before laughing and clapping his hands together. “Human, Angel and Demon working together. All for the sake of one little human.” he beams. 

Turning those golden eyes on Lily he smiles. “I knew there was something special about you Lily...you’re already helping me achieve my goals.”

Lily just blushes and smiles shyly. It’s hard for her to take all the attention right now. But she is touched that they would go to such lengths for her. 

  
Having given his permission, the demons stand back and let the angel and sorcerer get to work. Lily watches with a sort of detached curiosity as Simeon removes his other glove. Holding onto the globe Simeon hands seem to vibrate and glow as Solomon performs some sort of spell. The spectacle only lasts a minute or two before Simeon releases the lamp. 

The lamp flares brighter with a pure white brilliance, causing the demons to grimace and shield their eyes. Eventually the light mellows out but still has an otherworldly brilliance to it. Solomon looks pleased with the result. 

Looking back to Lily he procures a bottle from his robes, not an elixir this time but a bottle of vitamins that he sets on her side table. “I want you to start taking vitamins from now on, I’ve already told Lucifer the ones he should provide you with once these run out.” he explains. 

“You should get up to stretch and eat but I want you to spend most of the day within ten feet of this lamp.” he tells her as if he’s her doctor. 

Lily simply nods her head. Now that her eyes have adjusted, she realizes the lamp feels good even though it doesn’t provide any warmth the way the actual sun does. 

Everyone says their goodbyes and well wishes when Satan walks into her room with a breakfast tray. At this point she’s seen almost everyone in her room this morning. She’s cringing on the inside wondering what’s going to be on this tray. Surprisingly it looks like Satan has made her pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs.

She beams up at Satan with a bright smile, despite her mood. “Thank you Satan, how did you manage?”

Satan’s eyes widen momentarily, surprised by the brilliance of her smile. “Apparently Levi called in some favors and procured some human world ingredients.” Satan tells her. He watches curiously as her smile widens even further. 

Giving her a bit of a disdainful look he adds, “But since you managed to make 3 pacts with the three worst cooks in the house, Lucifer asked me to make the meal...well I take that back. Only Mammon is a bad cook. But Levi was too nervous and Beelzebub will just eat all the ingredients.”

“It looks amazing. Thank you.” she tells him. _I have to be sure to thank Leviathan too. What a sweetie he is._ She thinks to herself with a smile, her spirits lifted, she tries a bite. 

“Mmmm. So good.” she compliments. 

Satan lets out a short laugh. “Careful. You almost sounded like Beelzebub.” he teases her before leaving.

  
Once Lily finishes her breakfast she begins to feel lonely again. She can’t stand this weighted feeling on her chest. She’s been lonely most of her life but she always found a reason to smile and make the best of it. Now she’s surrounded by people..or beings..and when they leave her side the loneliness becomes crushing. Is this just the weird seasonal depression Solomon talked about? Or has she let herself become too accustomed to rarely being on her own? 

She feels herself slipping back into melancholia when her bedroom door opens and Solomon is peeking his head through. As if checking if she’s alone, he quickly enters and shuts the door behind him. Hiding something behind his back. 

“I thought you left.” Lily says to him, wondering why his eyes are sparkling so mischievously. In a fluid movement Solomon reveals what he was hiding from her. It’s her bow and quiver that had been confiscated on her return from the camping trip. It lays on her lap now. She lets her fingers follow the intricate carvings in the wood that she’d never stopped to appreciate before. 

When she looks up at him again, he says to her. “ Don’t forget who you are Lily.” His face is somewhat solem as he tells her this but then he gives her one last cheeky smile before turning to leave.

Lily is lost in her thoughts by the time she realizes he is gone again. She’s determined to thank him properly once she’s feeling better. She can’t imagine how he got his hands on her bow. Did he steal it without Lucifer knowing?! If so, she better not let Lucifer see it. Still it feels like a lifeline in her hands and she doesn’t quite feel like hiding it just yet. 

  
  
Beelzebub, knowing he would be watching over Lily today, had gone to Devil’s Mart to stock up on snacks. He knew sitting around worrying about her was going to make him extra hungry and he needed to be prepared. When he returned most of his brother’s were done with breakfast and he happily polished off everything they didn’t eat. Alternatively it had been nice for his brothers to be able to casually eat their fill without feeling like they were in a race against Beelzebub’s stomach. 

Now that everyone was gone, he went into the kitchen to see what else he could eat. Not too much later the fridge is mostly empty and he’s glad he bought all those snacks for later. When he enters Lily’s room, he has to hold up his hand to ward off the bright lamp. _So that’s what they were talking about huh?_ He thinks to himself. When he looks at Lily he's surprised to see her clutching onto her bow from the camping trip, in her sleep. _Didn’t Lucifer take that and hide it somewhere?_ He wonders to himself. 

He wishes he could have seen Lily hunt. Not that he’d want her to ever witness his style of hunting. Even with the evidence it was hard for him to accept that this small gentle creature was able to hunt and provide for them that way. She really was amazing to him. 

Beelzebub can sense the celestial light in the lamp, it makes him slightly uncomfortable but nostalgic too as he watches Lily sleep. He can’t help thinking that she looks almost angelic under the light. Her complexion already looks better since he last saw her. His thoughts drift to Lilith and he reaches for a chip bag. The sound as he opens it sounds loud and he looks up at Lily, hoping it doesn’t wake her. When he takes his first bite the resounding crunch seems to echo through the whole room. Hmm. I don’t want to wake her up. He thinks and sets down the bag and reaches for a large container of pudding instead. Pulling a spoon out of his jacket pocket. He tries to keep his slurping noises to a minimum.


	34. Facials and a Gun Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Asmodeus' turn to watch over Lily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This includes the chats The Gun Show 1 and 2. I've changed both chats a little, either by add to or leaving out or changing certain parts to better suit this story.

Lily wakes up feeling much better. Seeing that Beel is not in her bed, she reflects on the day before...

When she had woken up from her nap, Beel had smiled at her fondly but Lily couldn’t help but frown back when she saw all the chip bags, wrappers and empty pudding cups that were strewn all over her floor. It didn’t take much for Beel to get that guilty look on his face as he cleaned up his mess and apologized. 

Solomon’s artificial sun lamp had already worked wonders on her. Beel had ordered them lunch from Hell’s Kitchen and then she had insisted on getting outside for a bit. They had taken a turn in the garden until Lily suddenly felt very worn out and Beel rushed her back to the room. 

Under the lamp she felt revitalized again, if she closed her eyes it was almost as if she could feel the magic at work in her very cells. It felt similar to when Simeon had eased her headache. She supposed that made sense since the angel had infused his...his what? His power? Magic? Essence? She’d been learning about demonic powers but they didn’t teach about celestials at RAD, at least none of her current classes did. 

Her and Beel had spent the day playing card games, eating and getting to know each other. Lily had taught him how to play; I _spy with my little eye_ and _Would you rather?_

All of Beel’s questions for her seemed to revolve around food. “Would you rather eat one squirming devilgrub alive or only be able to eat cheeseburgers for the rest of your life, for every meal?”

Lily had wrinkled her nose. The thought of eating the same thing for the rest of her life seemed pretty awful, she didn’t want to hate cheeseburgers. “I guess I’d have to try the grub.” she finally admitted making a face of disgust. Beel had laughed at that, approving of her answer. 

Overall it had been a great day, she’d even made it out to the dining room that evening to have dinner with everyone. It had been lively as usual, but no one had picked on her or threatened her. Everything was nice until Mammon had to ruin it. 

Beel had told Lily he wanted to stay with her that night but Mammon had shown up and tried to kick him out. She had watched with wide blinking eyes as the two demons fought over who was going to sleep in her bed that night. Only her tears had made them stop, Beel was going to give up his spot to Mammon just so she wouldn’t cry anymore. But much to Mammon’s disappointment she said that wasn’t fair to Beel and asked Mammon to go. He hadn’t been happy about it but he did leave and she didn’t even have to command him. 

After spending most of the previous day under the lamp Lily was feeling refreshed, her mind was clear. She was definitely OVER staying in this room, lounging about. She needed to get back to living. Clapping her hands twice, the ingenious lamp that Solomon had made for her came to life. Once again she could feel a slight tingling sensation where the light hit her skin. She basked in it for several minutes before she got out of bed to stretch. 

Dressing for class, she makes her way to breakfast. Everyone seems surprised to see her in her RAD uniform. “Oi! Whatcha wearin’ that for?” Mammon shouts at her. 

Looking at Lucifer, Lily says. “I’m feeling better. I was hoping to go back to classes.”

Lucifer gives her an assessing gaze. “While I can appreciate your attitude, the answer is no. I don’t want you to relapse. You’ll stay home two more days, then if you feel up to it, you may return to classes just before the retreat. After all Diavolo would be very disappointed if you were not able to go to the retreat.” 

Lily feels disappointed but at the same time, his argument seems reasonable for once. Nodding she takes her seat. Beel has already dished her a bunch of food that he hopes she’ll be able to eat. 

“Don’t worry Lily darling. I’m going to take good care of you today. You won’t be bored a minute, I promise.” Asmo giggles. 

Mammon shots his brother a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Lucifer sighs. “Quiet.” he says sharply, giving Asmodeus a look that says not to rile up Mammon. “Do not tire her out Asmodeus.” he warns.

Asmodeus crosses his fingers over his heart. “I’ll make sure she gets all the relaxation she needs! I promise!”

Lily can’t help feeling a bit anxious about Asmodeus staying with her today. While they’ve buried the hatchet so to speak on their past issues it doesn’t mean new ones might not crop up. Back in her room she changes out of her RAD uniform and into some leggings and a t-shirt. She braids her hair and then pulls her bow out from under her bed, she'll need to come up with a better place for it. If Lucifer ever does one of his infamous surprise inspections it’ll be found for sure. 

  
She sits crossed legged on her bed, basking under her sun lamp with the bow in her lap. Closing her eyes she recalls Solomon’s reminder. She might be a dreamer, she might be naive to the world but she’s not weak. She’s a survivor, she’s never let her bullies get the better of her. She’s a huntress but she loves to nurture. She’s been so afraid since she arrived and it’s taken its toll on her spirit. She doesn’t want to be afraid anymore. She can’t afford to be. 

This is how Asmodeus finds Lily when he walks into her room. “My my, who gave that back to you?” he wonders, “You’re not trying to arm yourself against me are you?” his hand is on his chest in mockery. 

Lily gives him a slow blink before responding. “Just reminding myself who I am.” She gets down from her bed and stashes the bow and quiver in her closet for now. 

“Mmhmm I see.” Asmodeus watches the girl curiously, not really understanding her at all. “Well why don’t you change into your robe, I’ve drawn you a nice hot bath. You could use it.” he adds, wrinkling his nose.

Lily tries not to roll her eyes, but he’s right. She hasn’t showered for a couple days now and a hot bath does really sound devine. She’s just not sure Asmodeus’ bathtub is the safest place for her right now. 

After grabbing her robe, she tells him. “That sounds nice actually...but I will tattle on you to Lucifer if you try anything funny.”

Asmodeus laughs.”You flatter yourself darling. You have nothing to worry about. I’ll be the perfect gentleman.” he tells her, rolling his eyes. 

Asmodeus didn’t need much of a reason to do this for Lily. It was more for himself after all. She was amusing and he liked doing these sorts of things. If he had to spend the day with her he might as well make it as pleasant as possible. He didn’t get off on causing trouble the way some of his brothers did. Not that he wasn’t ever naughty. He did have a soft spot for riling up Mammon in particular. He also didn’t want to admit that there was something about her that drew his eye, something about her that made him want to spoil and pamper her. 

  
To Lily’s surprise Asmodeus was true to his word. The hot water, infused with oils was soothing. She’d never experienced such luxuries before and she tried to remind herself not to become accustomed to them. After all, if she survived the year and made it back to the human realm she’d probably never see anything like it again. 

She relaxed and washed herself with the lovely soaps that Asmodeus had provided her. When she began to prune up she dried herself off with a big fluffy pink towel before changing back into her robe. Asmodeus was waiting for her when she returned to her room. 

“Wasn’t that amazing darling? I bet you feel so much better now. That hot water has loosened up your muscles and opened up your pores.” he chattered on as he hands Lily a small silky romper. “Here put this on,” he tells her.

Lily frowns at the romper, it looks like it will just barely cover up all the important parts. “Don’t look at me that way! Solomon told me it would be good if you exposed as much of your skin as possible to this wretched lamp.” Asmo says as he puts his sunglasses back over his eyes. 

Lily had noticed that none of the demons liked being around her lamp and she could only guess it was because it was so bright but also that it was infused with the celestial. She remembers that Asmodeus has a pact with Solomon. Maybe Asmodeus will be willing to tell her more about the sorcerer. 

Hoping she’s not making a mistake, giving him the benefit of doubt once more she walks into her closet to change quickly. She can’t help blushing with embarrassment when she comes out, she feels like her one piece swimsuit covers more of her body than this thing. 

Asmodeus can’t help himself in admiring her form. She has so much going for her but her skin is dry and she has odd tan lines. It’s obvious to him that she hasn’t been taking care of her skin properly. He had his work cut out for him with this one. Not that she deserved his time or efforts. Her skittish heart rate captures his attention next, she’s so uncomfortable he can feel her anxiety rolling off her in waves. This would be so much easier if he could just charm her. He’s still frustrated that his powers don’t seem to work on her. Is it because of her innocence? That’s never seemed to matter before though. He’s the freaking Avatar of Lust after all, he could charm a fly if he wanted to. 

Turning to his beauty caddy he’d brought from his own room, he cheers. “It’s time for facials!” Asmo sat them down at her vanity, that she never really used. He showed her how and where to apply the mud mask to her face. She couldn’t help giggling at them in the mirror when they had finished. Next he was ushering her over to her bed. 

“Alright, you lay down on your bed and relax under your lamp while we wait for these to dry.” Lily obeyed him and he laid cucumber slices, or whatever was the Devildom equivalent over her eyes once she did. Asmo went to sit somewhere else, further away from the lamp. 

After facials, they painted each other's nails. Asmodeus found out the hard way that Lily had zero experience in this and his nails looked so awful he had to re-do them himself. 

“Careful which color you choose.” he advised her when she was browsing his stash of nail polish. Lily only looked confused at his statement. 

Asmodues rolled his eyes, he had to explain everything to this girl. “For example if you choose these? Well these are Mammon’s colors. It might make poor Levi jealous if he sees you wearing them.” he waits for her to understand. 

Lily however just wrinkles her nose. “Jealous? Why?” she really doesn’t understand why someone would get jealous about nail polish or a color in general. It doesn’t make any sense to her. These demons are so strange. 

Asmodeus sighs. “You really are hopeless Lily.” she ignores his comment, he can think what he likes. “Here, let’s go with this color.” he says holding up to her, “it matches your hair perfectly.”

Every time Lily tried asking him something about Solomon he gave her a vague answer or just plain refused to give her an answer. After her third question Asmodeus gave her an annoyed look. “Lily darling. You’re here with me right now. I’m far more beautiful and interesting. Wouldn’t you rather ask questions about me?” Which effectively ended her curiosity.

Lunch, which Asmodeus had ordered from a cafe to be delivered; looked as pretty as it tasted to Lily's surprise. Maybe she’d end up getting used to Devildom food after all. Afterwards she was feeling very sleepy, despite the fact that she was feeling better, more clear headed and more herself. 

“Take a nap.” Asmodeus encourages her. “I’ll stay here.” he tells her, as he flips through a magazine across the room.

Lily feels grateful as she climbs under her covers. She’s still not ready to be alone and even Asmodeus’ presence brings her a familiar sort of peace. Though she doesn’t feel warm and safe the same way she does with Levi, Mammon and Beel. 

  
By the time Asmodeus finishes the magazine he’s feeling bored and Lily is fast asleep. Rummaging through her things he discovers, as he suspected, she has an appalling lack of beauty products. He begins making a mental list of everything she needs once he’s able to take her shopping again. 

As he begins to reorganize her closet, making another mental list as he goes he begins to recall fond memories of his little sister. He’d been so happy when they finally had a girl in the family. She was so beautiful too, in looks and spirit. He recalls the time he snuck down to the human realm to go to his second party. His punishment from Raphael hadn’t deterred him after the first time. Belphie had followed him, and Lilith had followed Belphie. He’d been so surprised but they had a wonderful time together. Now Lilith was gone and Belphie was in the human realm and Lucifer acted as if their adorable little brother didn’t even exist anymore. 

Asmodeus lifts his eyes upwards, blinking and trying to keep himself from tearing up. He can’t ruin his makeup and perfect visage after all. He tries to shake off the sudden nostalgia that came over him suddenly. There is no time to dwell on the past and things that make him sad after all. There is only time for making himself happy and exploring pleasure after all.

  
  


When Lily wakes up from her nap, Levi is stocking her bookshelf with new mangas he wants her to read. “Hey Levi.” Lily greets him as she rubs her eyes. 

“H-hey.” Levi replies, slightly caught off guard by her waking. “Everyone’s home now so Asmo went to take a bath or so he said.” he rambles off an unnecessary explanation. 

Stretching and getting out of bed, Levi’s face turns bright red when he sees what Lily is wearing. Her eyes become impossibly wide when Levi zips over to her faster than she’s ever seen him move and wraps her blanket around her. “S-s-skin s-so much skin.” he mutters as he covers her. 

Lily blushes when she remembers what Asmodeus had her wear. She’s embarrassed all over again, especially because of Leviathan’s reaction to it. “I’m s-sorry!” she says stepping back and holding the blanket around herself as she flees into her closet. 

She begins her own rambling explanation about Asmodeus, the lamp and Solomon as she quickly changes into her only surviving pair of leisure pants and a large comfy sweater. “And Solomon said I should e-expose as much of my s-skin as possible to the light. Which I suppose that does make sense but I’m r-really sorry you had to see me that way!”

“I’m sure he did, Solomon is as bad as Asmodeus I swear.” Leviathan mumbles under his breath outside of Lilys hearing. Still her reaction was pretty cute. She probably thinks he’s just a scared little otaku who’s too embarrassed to see a girl that way. She doesn’t understand the darker, more savage impulses that reside inside him. If he had his way, she never would. As much as he wanted her to see him and know him, there were parts of him he never wanted her to know and understand. 

He feels relieved when she comes out of her closet dressed in fully covering, casual clothes. Nothing revealing or enticingly sweet. “H-how are you feeling?” he asks her, trying to get over the awkwardness. 

“Mm. Much better. Thank you.” she says as she makes her way over to her shelf to see the new titles Levi had brought over. She hasn’t done much reading lately but it was always nice to have something waiting and ready for her. Following her over to the shelf, Levi begins to give her explanations for each of the series he’s brought over. Lily does her best to follow along until both of their D.D.D.’s ping them with a message alert.

**House of Lamentation Chat (7)**

Speaking of skin..Lilys eyes go wide when she opens the message to see a photo of someone’s heavily sculpted chest and abdominals. Levi mutters something about normies. 

**< Mammon:** Check out Beel’s abs. He’s seriously ripped. Loool

Lily's eyebrows raise. That’s Beel? She could tell he was muscled but somehow she imagined his stomach would be...softer..from all the food he eats. Not that she really spent any time imagining such things. 

**< Satan: ** Whoa..is it just me, or is he even more shredded than before?  
 **< Mammon:** You should feel it. It’s like concrete. loool Like, weirdly hard. Lool

Lily giggles and Levi raises his brows looking at her. He doesn’t know what’s so funny about this conversation. But the image in her head of Mammon feeling Beel’s abs just seems ridiculous to her.

 **< Asmodeus:** Now, now, simply being muscular doesn’t make one attractive, now does it?

Levi scoffs and Lily’s eyes go wide once more when Asmodeus sends a picture of his naked legs in the bathtub.

 **< Asmodeus:** Real beauty isn’t determined by muscle mass!  
 **< Leviathan:** Just so you know, Lily is laughing at you guys.. Loool

Lily looks at Levi in surprise. He gives her a sheepish smile and shrugs. She just shakes her head at him. 

**< Asmodeus:** Oh? Well what is Lily’s type then? (Blowing Kiss Demon Sticker)  
 **< Mammon: **I bet my human appreciates the muscles. Dontcha?

Levi smirks at Lily’s as she stares at the message. He bets she's embarrassed. 

**> Lily:** I’ve never given it much thought…

Levi chuckles at her response.

 **< Mammon:** You don’t say...Is that your way of hinting that you want Mammon here to send you a photo of his chiseled biceps? *inserts photo of said biceps*

Levi scoffs. “Pathetic.” he mutters. Lily just smiles and shakes her head. Is this what boys talk about in their free time? She smiles when the next message to come in, echoes her own thoughts. 

**< Lucifer: ** Is this how you all amuse yourselves? By sending photos of your exposed body parts?  
 **< Lucifer:** (Frustrated Demon Sticker)  
 **< Asmodeus: ** Well, I for one absolutely LOVE looking at pictures of myself! <3  
 **< Lucifer: ** Yes, I know that. I wasn’t asking you.  
 **< Asmodeus:** Ugh...SO rude!  
 **< Satan: ** You know, come to think of it, Lucifer almost never exposes much of his own body.  
 **< Lucifer:** That’s enough, Satan. Stop right there.  
 **< Asmodeus:** Hmm, now that you mention it, that’s true. Even back during his time in the Celestial Realm, Lucifer generally dressed formally.  
 **< Mammon:** The first time I saw him, he was covered from head to toe in shining armor. With the way it sparkled, I almost mistook him for a second sun.   
**< Lucifer: ** You thought my armor was too shiny?  
 **< Beelzebub:** That’s true, yeah. Back in the Celestial Realm, Lucifer really radiated light. 

Lily tried to imagine Lucifer as an Angel, she couldn’t manage it. She couldn’t really imagine any of them as Angels..maybe Beel, he was the nicest of them when he wasn’t having a tantrum over food. 

**< Asmodeus:** So, none of us have ever seen Lucifer when he wasn’t covered up, then?  
 **< Asmodeus:** Hmm, I bet he’s hiding an impressive body under there.   
**< Asmodeus:** I mean, I’m sure he’s got nothing on MY perfect figure, but still.  
 **< Mammon: ** I dunno about that, Asmo. What if he’s actually totally shredded in addition to being good-looking?  
 **< Satan:** I don’t know. Maybe he’s hideous and that’s why he covers up? Maybe he’s really hairy or has horrible scars?  
 **< Asmodeus:** (Screaming Demon Sticker)  
 **< Lucifer: ** (Glaring Demon Sticker)  
 **< Satan:** I wonder if anyone has ever seen him with his clothes off.

Lily glances up when she sees Levi begin to type on his phone again.

 **< Leviathan:** Well, I heard that he took a trip to the beach once a long time ago. He went with Lord Diavolo..  
 **< Lucifer:** Levi, why did you have to bring that up…?  
 **< Mammon: ** Well, that settles that! I’ll just have to go ask Lord Diavolo about that beach trip tomorrow.  
 **< Lucifer:** Mammon, I promise you, I’ll put a hex on you that will ensure your mouth explodes the moment you try to say anything about this to Diavolo.  
 ******< Mammon: **(Terrified Demon Sticker)

Lily looks at Levi. “Could Lucifer really hex Mammon like that?” she asks with wide eyes. 

“That and much worse!” Levi says with a gulp, looking nervous for his own safety. 

**< Beelzebub:** So, can I put on some clothes now?

Lily giggles. “Oh Beel.” she shakes her head. 

“I think I made a mistake…” Levi admits to her. 

Later that evening Lily is getting ready for bed, she’s feeling a little lonely but she realizes she can’t have someone sleep in her bed with her every night. After all she’s not a child. When a fight broke out at dinner over her sleeping arrangement, Lucifer made it extremely clear that anyone found in her bed in the morning would be severely punished. 

She’s just about to get into bed when her phone pings. Checking it out she sees it’s a private spy message. Too curious to resist looking when she sees that the message is between Lucifer, Lord Diavolo and Barbatos.  
  


**The Fantastic Three**

**> Lucifer:** Listen, I’d like to ask you for a favor if I could.  
 **< Diavolo:** A favor? Well, this is unexpected. It’s not often that you do that.  
 **> Lucifer:** Right. Do you remember that time the two of us went to the beach together? It was a while ago.  
 **< Diavolo:** Ah yes, that really was fun, wasn’t it? You know, I’d love to go back sometime!  
 **> Lucifer:** Right...I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Anyway, you took a picture of me then, didn’t you? It was when I told you that it was possible to take pictures using a D.D.D.  
 ******> Lucifer: **You said you wanted to give it a try. 

*Diavolo sends the picture that Lucifer is referring to*  
  
Lily feels slightly embarrassed about seeing something that Lucifer obviously wants to keep private. 

**< Diavolo:** I take it you’re referring to this photo here? I have to say, I think I did a really good job. It’s still one of my favorite pictures even today.  
 **> Lucifer** : Right, yeah...Don’t send it to me though.   
**> Lucifer** : It seems Mammon and the others are interested in that picture. They might come to you asking to see it.   
**< Diavolo:** Ah, I see. Well, perhaps I should go ahead and send it to everyone on the student council right now?  
 **> Lucifer:** NONONONONONONO!  
 **> Lucifer:** I’m saying I DON’T want them to see that picture. So, if they ask you for it, I’d like you to tell them that no such photo exists, OK?  
 **< Diavolo** : Huh. Well, all right. But you look so relaxed, so natural…  
 **< Diavolo: ** Personally, I think it would be a good chance for them to see a new and different side of their older brother.  
 **< Diavolo** : But if you don’t want them to see it, then I’ll go ahead and keep this our little secret.   
**> Lucifer:** I’d appreciate that, thanks.

Lily shakes her head, she has to agree with Lord Diavolo on this. She doesn’t understand why Lucifer is so uptight about a casual beach picture? Either way, it’s none of her business and she’s about to delete the whole message when another comes though.

 **< Diavolo: ** While we’re on the subject, I have a picture of you at the school festival as well, you know.   
**< Diavolo** : It was when you dressed yourself up as Queen Rose.  
 **> Lucifer:** Didn’t I tell you to throw that one away?!  
 **> Lucifer:** Hey, Diavolo. Answer me, Diavolo!  
 **> Lucifer:** Don’t ignore my texts!  
 **> Lucifer:** Tomorrow you’re GOING to delete that photo. I’m going to stand there and watch you do it with my own eyes!  
 **< Diavolo:** It’s my photo, and you can’t make me!  
  
Lily’s hand is over her mouth. She marvels over the way Diavolo teases Lucifer, obviously as the next King he can get away with it. But it was also interesting to see Lucifer start the messages so polite and proper until it devolved into him text shouting and ordering even Diavolo around. His Pride really had no bounds did it? As amusing as it was to read, it only made Lucifer more intimidating in her mind. She quickly deletes the incriminating message before turning off her lamp and going to bed.


	35. A day of learning with Satan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Satan takes a different approach when it's his turn to watch over Lily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes some more of my head cannons/ideas on the little universe I've built for Lily. I hope you'll find it interesting and not boring. lol

The clapping of hands and a bright light wake Lily from her slumber the next morning. Shielding her eyes from her sun lamp, which is way too bright to deal with first thing, she tries to make sense of what’s going on. 

“Good Morning.” Satan’s clipped voice reaches her ears and she sits up, trying to figure out why he’s here waking her up so harshly. 

She sees him setting down a stack of books and papers on her desk. 

“Morning?” she greets him warily.

“Since you wanted to return to classes so badly I brought you all your missed assignments. You can help me prepare breakfast for everyone this morning and when they leave we can get you caught up in all your classes.” He tells her with a very serious, studious expression. 

Satan is waiting for her response. He assumes she’ll either sulk and pretend to be too sick to get out of the work or she’ll be angry with him. He’s annoyed that Lucifer has stuck him with this babysitting job. As usual, Lucifer has no respect for his time. If she’s so important to Diavolo and the exchange program then Lucifer should be the one watching after the little waif. 

“Thank you Satan!” Lily is already out of bed beaming up at him, she’s already forgotten about his rude awakening. She’s standing next to him, looking through the materials he’s brought. Oblivious to the look of surprise on his face. 

Despite the fact that she didn’t choose to be here, Lily does enjoy her classes at RAD and it’s been so horrible being cooped up in bed. This was just what she needed. She can’t wait to help him in the kitchen too, finally she can feel useful again!

“Just give me a moment to change and we can go to the kitchen.” she says as she disappears into the closet. Satan watches her disappear with a frown.

Satan is still giving Lily incredulous side-eye in the kitchen as she hums to herself while she ties up her hair in a messy bun and puts on an apron. He’s not sure if it’s his imagination or not but it's almost as if she seems to be glowing. Solomon’s treatment must have worked wonders, it’s truly as if she was never depressed in the first place. 

He rolls his eyes at her exuberance to learn how to cook some Devildom dishes. His plans to annoy Lucifer through the human exchange student are not going his way. She never reacts how he expects her to. There’s something so irritating about this human. Every time she’s near, something tugs at his memory. Except it’s not HIS memory being tugged at. It’s Lucifer’s memories from when he was still part of him. It’s infuriating but what’s more infuriating is that he can’t even seem to get very angry at the girl. 

  
A while later Satan is checking on her, he had put her in charge of prepping some ingredients. He’s been waiting to catch her doing something wrong but she’s annoyingly proficient in the kitchen. He supposes he shouldn’t be surprised after watching the way she handled that Peryton during the camping trip. 

“Did you do much of the cooking at home?” he finds himself asking her, annoyed at his own curiosity. 

Lily is startled a bit, it had been so silent that Satan’s voice surprised her. She nods, not taking her eyes off her work. “My father taught me young and eventually I did all the cooking for us.”  _ Father might have let us both starve if I hadn’t. _ She thinks to herself. Remembering the way she’d have to coax him into eating during those years when he was obsessed with his work, day and night. There was no use complaining though, she never resented her Father only worried over him. If she was going to learn how to cook, she was going to make the most of it, do it well and enjoy it. 

  
Later when Satan and Lily are bringing out all the platters and serving bowls to the dining room. Mammon growls at Satan with irritation. “You’re supposed to be watchin’ out for her! Not workin’ her to death in the kitchen!”

“Oh but I feel much better.” Lily tells Mammon with a smile. “I learned so much today about preparing Devildom ingredients!”

Mammon blushes and sits down with a huff, it’s hard to argue when she’s looking at him like that, acting so happy. 

“Still,” Lucifer interjects, sending Satan a pointed look. “You are supposed to be making sure she gets enough rest, not having her take on your duties.”

Satan scowls and is ready to tell Lucifer off when Lily speaks first.

“But I really am better!” she insists. “Satan gave me just what I needed, something to do and feel useful again. I’m very thankful to him.” she insists. That saps Satan of his rebuttal so he settles with giving Lucifer a smug look instead.

Lucifer sighs wearily. “Just don’t over do it. You’ll have to go two days without your lamp during the retreat.” he warns her.

The rest of breakfast goes by smoothly. Everyone compliments Satan on his cooking, especially Beel. Satan begrudgingly tells them that Lily was a big help and that she surprised him with her cooking skills. Lily blushes. While Beel starts entertaining ideas of trying to convince Lily to be his personal chef. 

  
Lily is heading back to her room when Satan heads her off and escorts her to the garden. “I read that a human such as yourself needs to get fresh air.” he says as an explanation. Just because he didn’t want to babysit the human doesn’t mean he didn’t do his research after all. 

Lily wonders if Solomon could install a giant magic sun lamp in the garden. She’d love to lay out in the grass under the light. Maybe she’ll ask if it’s possible. She wonders if it won’t make the demons unhappy though since they seem to be somewhat adverse to her lamp.

Precisely thirty minutes later Satan is escorting her back to her room. He informs her that there’s a quiz on the lineage of the Demon Kings when she returns to class tomorrow. Lily internally groans. It’s been the most boring part of her history class so far. 

  
Once Satan is satisfied that she has them memorized in the correct order, he asks her some extra questions that could pop up on the quiz. “How many Demon Kings took a Queen?”

“Umm..” Lily pauses to think. Satan smirks when she starts counting on her fingers while staring at the ceiling. “Less than half..eight?” she guesses. 

“Correct, but there have been ten Queens.” Satan informs her. “Don’t forget that Diavolo’s grandfather had three. The first he killed for attempting to kill his paramour who was pregnant with Diavolo’s father at the time, and the second he murdered because he came to lust after his third and final Queen before Lord Diavolo’s father, the current reigning Demon King, killed them both.” 

Lily nods, not really wanting to be reminded about that. All in all, Demon politics aren’t much more brutal than the human histories when you really compare them. It still wasn’t enjoyable to think about though. She becomes lost in thought once more thinking about Diavolo and what sort of childhood he must have had?

“Why is it that the Kings married other demons when in almost all cases, at least since humans have been around- produced their heirs through human women?” Lily asks as she suddenly realizes the trend. 

“Remind me what you’ve learned in Demon Biology. How are demons created?” Satan answers her question with a question.

“Well the first were spirits who took physical form. The oldest way, before they were influenced by the corporeal dimension, other spirits were created by strong emotions or mutual intention and this can still happen today, although more rare…” Lily glances up at Satan, the only example she’s met of this. 

“Case in point, my own creation.” Satan confirms.

“And last, demons can copulate biologically too.” Lily finishes answering his question. 

“What can you deduct from what you’ve learned about demonic copulation?” Satan asks her yet another question.

“Well...the first King and Queen brought their heir into existence through a mutual passion for a strong and worthy heir...the next King and Queen had several children biologically each more monstrous than the next, their last child was Cerberus’ forefather. Before humans existed a more reptilian or draconic form was preferred among the most intelligent spirits.”

“That’s right, and all modern demons still carry these animalistic traits, whether it be horn, wing or tail.” Satan nods in approval.

“When the first human man and woman were created, the Demon King at the time was enthralled and kidnapped the woman and had a child with her before returning her to the Human World. They created the first demon with a human like appearance, biologically anyway.” Lily recounts.

“Not only that but it incensed the Celestial Realm who considers humans their own property and started the first real war between our two kinds.” Satan supplies dryly.

“I see where you’re going...but why would demons prefer to look human?” Lily asks. After all there is a huge history of demons tormenting and otherwise looking down on humankind. 

“It’s not about looking like a human, although demons did come to appreciate the beauty and pleasure to be found in this form. Think about that first humanoid Demon King.” he prompts her to think more critically.

“Oh!” Lily’s eyes go wide when she realizes. “He was the first Demon to wield magic.”

“What you probably haven’t been taught yet is that over a millennia of experimentation demons found that while their physical forms became less impressive their power significantly increased and many demons could learn to wield magic, not just their demonic powers. Specifically the line of the demon kings. Even today while much of the elite class has absorbed much human DNA over the millennia, our biology is much more complex and explosive compared to regular human breeding. Two demons might have a perfectly normal demon child or they may give birth to something that looks like Lotan.” Satan shrugs.

To Lily, it boggles the mind. “Then why don’t the demon’s just marry the humans they make children with?”

Satan laughs. “Politics and the fact that in most cases those human women were kidnapped, raped and disposed of once their purpose was fulfilled. Don’t let Lord Diavolo charade fool you, the past is lurid and unforgivable. Why do you think the Celestials hate us so much? We played with their toys and they don’t like to share the sandbox.”

“Lord Diavolo didn’t have a human mother though.” Lily states. 

“Indeed, he’s a rare specimen and arguably the most powerful future King the Devildom has ever seen. If you ask me for my opinion though, something went wrong in the breeding. I’m convinced he’s mad.” Satan tells her with a snort of derision.

Lily giggles but can’t help but think that he’s probably committing some sort of treason with those words. Lucifer would probably have a fit if he heard him just now. Somehow, she doesn’t think Satan would mind at all. She doesn’t know why but there’s definitely a feeling of bad blood between them. Well she couldn’t think about it too much, she’d already gotten in too deep trying to figure out this Belphegor situation.  _ One demonic problem at a time. _ She tells herself. 

“What about Nephilim?” Lily asks, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the classifications of demons and their children.

“A child between a demon and a human is just another demon, the demonic is the dominant dna in all cases and they just absorb what they want of the human, but they are demons though and through. Nephilim are unique to Angels, or more accurately; Fallen Angels such as my brothers.” Satan sees the question in her eyes and answers before she can ask. “It’s forbidden for an Angel to have a child with a human, they are not allowed to play with their father’s toys either.” he chuckles. “So the very act will have you cast out.”

“So there’s ancient demons who are spirits that take on a physical form, there’s demons born the normal way,” she says using hand quotations, “there’s demons born from emotions and will, and there’s fallen angels.” she reiterates the information to her memory.

“Yes and there are many classifications within each type or class of demon. There are ancient demon spirits such as Barbatos who have been around since the beginning but he’s trapped in the body you see him in. Then there are spirits like Karasu, just as old, not nearly as powerful but he can take different shapes and if he wanted to, he could return wholly to spirit.” Satan explains.

Lily files that information away about Karasu and Barbatos for another day. “Then can a demon such as Karasu still have biological children if he’s still able to return to spirit?”

“Yes,” Satan says looking disgusted. “As long as he takes a physical form, he could become a cow and make demon cow babies if he wanted to. How come you think there’s so many damn crows around?” He laughs when Lily makes a horrified looking face.   
  
“Has an Angel and a Demon ever had a child?” she asks next.

If the face he made before looked disgusted, his expression now is even worse. “Don’t ever ask that at RAD unless you want to cause an incident. It hasn’t been done, it will never be done. I don’t even think it’s possible.”

_ Okay then...moving on.  _ Lily thinks to herself. 

“How many fallen Angels are there? Why do they become demonic?” she asks, it doesn’t make sense to her that one could just become another species altogether. 

“There’s legions of them. Many fell before the war even. The first Angel to ever fall goes to RAD in fact..” Satan replies, slightly amused by her endless curiosity.

“The reason is a bit more complex..Angels are beings of light and when they are cast out they lose that light. Some die in the process, some just lose their power and immortality and live out their days as if they were human. However, most fall. If you haven’t noticed, Angels are extremely prideful, Lucifer was just the worst of them. They won’t let go of that power or their immortality so they fall. While the celestial is light the demonic is darkness and it fills the void where the light was and it corrupts them into something demonic. But no, they aren’t true Demons.But the Demon Kings saw them as powerful allies and made a place for them here.”

“But what about you? They only talked about it in the barest terms in class.” Lily asks Satan, hoping her question isn’t rude or too personal.

“What about me?” Satan asks, brows furrowed.

“Well you’re unique aren’t you? Most demons born the way you were, well it was usually done intentionally by an actual demon. But you…” Lily trails off, seeing the perplexed, possibly angry look on Satan’s face.

“Yes, what about me?” he asks curtly. 

Lily gives him her best smile. “Well….that makes you special, one of a kind right?” she asks, hoping that he’s not too upset with her. 

Satan’s frown lifts at the corner and he shakes his head. She’s always surprising him and saying unexpected things. He’s never considered himself special, cursed maybe. “That’s an interesting way of looking at it.” he says before changing the subject. 

“Let’s move on to your magical theory homework.”

That night, when Lily is alone, she pulls out her journal. Finally feeling up to writing for the first time since she was reunited with it. 

**Lily’s Daily Journal - Day 28**

_ I’ve been in the Devildom for almost a whole month now...it seems like I’ve been here much longer with all that has happened. My room was destroyed because of Beelzebub’s tantrum over a cup of custard. Which strangely led me to making a pact with him. I found out the man in the attic was a demon and none other than Beelzebub’s twin. So far I’ve decided to keep this secret. Even though it hurts to keep this from Beel. Belphegor insists I keep the secret and since Lucifer knows I fear he’d actually kill me if I spoke of it to any of the others. There’s an uneasy truce that exists but Lucifer is so volatile, he reminds me of a cornered animal and those are the most dangerous.Lucifer and Belphegor both want something out of this and I can only hope I live long enough to figure it out. _

_ I feel strangely at home here even with the death threats. I even feel safe and cared for when I’m around the three demons I have pacts with. I’d even go as far as to say we are friends, I can’t tell if I genuinely have feelings for them or if it’s just a result of the pact? All I can say is that I care about each of them deeply.  _

_ I was finally able to speak with Luke and Simeon about my father. Simeon has agreed to try and help me. For some reason I still feel compelled to keep it a secret, maybe it's just a matter of trust but more and more I feel like I should open up to Levi, Mammon and Beel… _

_ Lastly I was struck with a strange depression and am only now feeling better. I’ve always tried to find the bright side of things no matter what hardships I faced in the past but I’m afraid I’ve been so out of my depth here that I lost my way. Solomon said it was because of the lack of sun and a normal biological reaction but I know it affected my spirit as well. I had given into my fear. Luckily with Solomon’s treatment and the care and concern of those around me I’m feeling much more myself. I know some of them had selfish motivations but it still felt nice to be cared for...for once someone was taking care of me instead of the other way around... _

_ Clues and things to think about… _

_ A strange light in the forest _ _   
_ _ A bank account created before I was born, Barbatos? Still haven’t heard anything new about this, I should try to talk to Barbatos directly at the upcoming retreat. _ _   
_ _ A consistent feeling of dejavu?  _ _   
_ _ Why does Lucifer allow me to meet Belphegor?   
_ _ Does Belphegor really want to make up with Lucifer?   
  
  
_


	36. Back to RAD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily goes back to classes the day before the retreat. Includes the game chat from Diavolo: A Whimsical Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update! I was stuck on this chapter for awhile. Big thanks to Cluelesse who helped me finish it up last night so I could finally update today =D

Lily is so excited to go back to classes, she wakes up and sits under her lamp for a good thirty minutes before getting ready for the day. Staying cooped up for long is definitely not for her! She doesn’t understand how Levi can prefer to stay holed up in his room so much, she’d go crazy. She takes extra care of her appearance this morning.  _ Asmodeus would be proud. _ She thinks.  _ If he would care. _

Thanks to Satan she’s not even behind in any of her classes. Lily wonders how she can thank everyone for looking after her while she packs her book bag. Maybe bake some Human World cookies? A cake? She has to do that when Beelzebub is not around, she decides. Or he’ll eat the dough or batter before it even makes it to the oven. 

Breakfast that morning goes by smoothly and she’s oblivious to all the strange stares she’s receiving around the table. Maybe it’s just been too long since the demons have been around a human for more than a day or two, but to them, it seems unnatural how fast she’s recovered.

“Is it just me? Or does she look prettier than before?” Asmo whispers to Satan, the only one who hadn’t been gawking at the human. 

Satan glances up from his book and shrugs. “She doesn’t have those dark circles under her eyes anymore.” he replies.

Asmo nods. “Yes, that must be it...I wonder if Solomon could make me something that would produce similar results.” but Satan doesn’t answer, his attention is back on his book.

“It should be a crime to look so happy.” Levi mutters.    
  
“You seem to be in good spirits.” Lucifer says to Lily as if her sunny disposition is giving him a headache. 

“Oh yes. I’m happy to be getting out of my room today.” she says. Beel smiles at her, feeling happy that his human is better.

“Heh. Can’t have ya becomin’ a shut in like Levi.” Mammon laughs, earning himself a glare from Levi. 

  
Once at RAD, Mammon is walking her to her history class when another demon jogs up beside them. “Mammon, my devil! I need to borrow your human for a moment.” the demon says. Lily gives him a wary once over. She’s seen him before, he hangs out with Mammon and Asmodeus sometimes. He’s loud and lively just like they are. His dark brown hair is always swept into a messy ponytail. He’s looking at her intently with amber eyes that remind her of Leviathans.

“Oi, what business do ya got with my human huh?” Mammon asks, pulling Lily closer to his side. 

“Chill.” the demon chuckles, holding out his hands as if he means no harm. “I just have a few questions for the newspaper.”

_ Oh right. This demon is head of the RAD Newspaper. Mephistopheles is his name. _ Lily thinks to herself as the demons talk about her as if she’s not standing right there with them. 

“What kind of questions?” Lily asks Mephistopheles, directly. Ignoring Mammon who always seems to want to make decisions for her and right now it’s no different.

“Well, we at the RAD newspaper club would like to confirm some rumors that have been going around while you’ve been gone.” Mephistopheles says.

“Rumors?” She asks, her eyes big.  _ Ugh, of course there are rumors. _

Mammon groans and Lily looks confused as the demon continues. “Can you confirm or deny that Lucifer had you locked in the dungeons for bad mouthing our prince Lord Diavolo?”

Lily’s eyes go even wider,  _ this is the rumor? _

“Hey, what kinda crap are ya spoutin’ now, Mephisto?” Mammon growls, annoyed about his time being wasted.

“Hm, no?” Mephistopheles, scratches something off his pad and then starts to ask. “How about this, -”

“I was sick.” Lily blurts, cutting him and this ridiculous interview, if you can call it that, off. “That’s all.”

“Sick?” It’s like he doesn’t believe that simple explanation.

“Yeah, ya blockhead. It’s something that happens to humans, ya know?” Mammon scoffs as if he knows all about these things. 

Mephistopheles looks at Lily and says accusingly. “Well that’s boring! I can’t put that in the paper.” Lily rolls her eyes in response, already done with this conversation.

“I don’t care what ya put in the paper.” Mammon says and puts his hand on Lily’s back to keep her moving down the hall towards her classroom. “What a moron.” He grumbles and Lily giggles.

  
Later, Lily leaves her history class feeling confident about her results on the quiz. She enjoyed studying with Satan and wonders if he’d ever do so again without being forced into it? Maybe she can ask him when he is in a good mood… Though that isn’t happening very often... 

Her next class is Demon & Human Psychology, it’s a prerequisite before taking a class called Seductive Speechcraft. The psychology class is interesting enough but Lily has no desire to take any speech classes, let alone with the topic of seduction. While some of the classes available at RAD seem familiar to her, some of them she couldn’t quite wrap her head around. 

“Today we’re going to move on to the next chapter in the textbook. ‘The Art of Deals’. It’s important to know the difference between a deal and a pact.” the professor begins his lecture. Lily takes out her notebook, ready to take down notes. “Lily.” The professor calls on her. “As the only human in this class, and one that has three pacts. Can you explain the difference between a deal and a pact?”

“No sir.” Lily replies, her cheeks flush, as the whole class turns their attention on her. 

“Typical.” the professor says in a supercilious tone as if she is pitifully stupid, while the classroom snickers.

Lily doesn’t let it bother her, still ready to take her notes when the professor decides to stop ridiculing the human and get on with the lecture. 

“A pact is a sacred bond, an oath that only death can break. There’s permanency and the cost to gain such a pact is usually high. Attempting to sever a pact can have dire consequences for both the human and demon, even if it’s a mutual decision.” 

Everyone glances at Lily again, wondering how someone like her managed to gain three pacts with three rulers of hell without losing her soul in the process. Lily doesn’t exactly know the answer herself. She just knows that her demons make her feel she is home with them. Not that she’s going to enlighten the whole classroom about her thoughts and be ridiculed some more.

“A deal is usually more finite in nature, the cost usually isn’t as high.” The professor explains. “Pacts attach to the soul, there can be no deception in its nature. Deals however, the magic is all in the words. A clever demon can persuade a human into a deal that is more advantageous for themselves if they can outwit the human.”

Lily frowns as she makes her notes. She’s not sure how this helps with Diavolo’s goals for the three worlds cooperating. Surely making deals like that should be outlawed by the time that dream is achieved?

“I could bore you all day with a lecture but Lord Diavolo has afforded us a rare opportunity with the exchange program.” The professor says with a wicked smile. 

Lily looks up and instantly has a bad feeling for whatever is going to happen next. 

“For the remainder of the class. You’ll each have five minutes with Lily. Your goal is to convince her to make a deal with you. Extra credit for anyone who is able to convince her to make a deal that is more advantageous to yourself. Lily, your goal is to not be tricked into anything disadvantageous to you.” the professor explains.

Lily nods in understanding, she doesn’t want to do this but she doubts she has much of a choice.  _ This should be easy enough.  _ She tells herself.  _ Just refuse them all. _

  
The first several students try their luck. Offering her all the typical things that a lot of humans want: fame, riches, power, status, youth, beauty, lovers. It’s easy for Lily to turn them all down. 

“No, no, no.” The professor finally interrupts. “You’re assuming all humans are the same and want all the same things. Sure, humans as a whole are easy to figure out but, you’ll come across humans that don’t fit your preconceived notions.” Pointing at Lily, he continues. “Who is she? What does she desire? What are her strengths and weaknesses? You must find out before you can make an effective deal.”

The class continues with more failed attempts as the demons try to hone in on what this human may want. The last demon in the class sits on the desk opposite of her with a deceptively friendly grin. “Now, I’ve heard a little rumour that you have a soft spot for that demon hound that Lucifer keeps.” the demon says, tapping his chin. Lily can’t help put perk up. “I’m going to venture a guess that you’re one of those humans that just loves cute fluffy creatures?” 

Lily nods, she tries to keep her expression wary but the demon can see the way her eyes sparkle. 

“Mmhmm. So what would you say if I could provide a way for you to understand the language of animals?” the demon offers with a congenial grin.

Lily struggles and fails to hide her excitement. “I’m listening.” she says, only half listening as she daydreams about all the possibilities.

The demon chuckles, “Well that’s what I have to offer you. The question is, what can you offer me in exchange?” he says, rubbing his chin again. Lily can’t really think of anything she has to offer, at least not anything she’s willing to give up. 

“I can pay you for it.” Lily suggests, remembering her bank account with a smile. The demon laughs. “That’s not really how a deal works, sweetheart.” Lily wrinkles her nose at the mocking endearment. 

“I’ll do your next homework assignment?” she offers. 

“I know what I want.” the demon says as if an idea has just struck them. “You can pretend to be my mate.”

“Mate?” Lily grimaces, ready to refuse him. 

“Why the face?” the demon chuckles. “I’m not bad to look at! A mate.. A lover. A boyfriend as you humans like to say.” Lily shakes her head, she really wants to talk to Cerberus but this sounds like a huge mistake. “Hear me out.” the demon stops her before she refuses him outright. “The potion only works for a few hours. So I’ll provide you a bottle each day you keep up the charade. It’s just pretend, you won't actually be my lover.” 

“Why?” Lily wants to know. She can’t see what’s in it for him. 

“My former lover just left me for some prick. She really doesn’t like humans and you’re the most talked about exchange student. That’s saying something considering you’re just a normal human up against angels and a notorious sorcerer.” the demon explains.

Lily frowns, this all seems so petty to her. “What are the terms of being your fake girlfriend?” she asks, against her better judgement.

“Clever girl.” The demon smiles. “You’ll have to hang out with me around RAD. You’ll have to be convincing.”

“I’m not making out with you in the halls or anything else.” she says, feeling pale and shy at the mere thought of being intimate with some stranger. A demon, no less!

The demon rolls his eyes. “Then no one will believe we’re a couple.”

“I’ll hold your hand...you can hug me.” she offers, but she hears her own voice sounding doubtful.

“You’ll have to kiss me.” he counters, with a mischievous grin.

Lily taps her fingers on the desk. She’s never kissed anyone, Karasu’s stolen kiss aside. “Only o-once.” she says with a gulp.

“Pfft. The rumours of you being a virgin must be true.” He laughs. “I’ve never met such a prude before.”

Lily blushes. “You can forget your deal.” she begins to fold her arms.

“Calm down.” the demon chuckles. “One kiss a day.”

Do I really want to talk to animals this badly? Lily wonders. “Fine. In exchange for your potion. I’ll pretend to be your girlfriend. One potion each day I pretend. When I’ve had enough the deal is done. Hand holding, hugging and one kiss a day. Nothing more physical than that. And the deal is off if your potion is a fake or does something nasty to me.” 

The demon nods with a smile. “Oh.” he points at her. “And you have to keep your pact demons from tearing me apart,” he adds. 

“Fine.” Lily rolls her eyes. “But we don’t start this until after this retreat thing I have to go to this weekend.”

“It’s a deal then. I’m Lucifugus by the way.” he says, extending his hand. Lily doesn’t comment on his odd name and shakes his hand. The moment she does twin tattoos appear on their right wrists. 

  
Lily yelps in surprise. “Ah, we have a successful deal!” the professor smiles. “Deals are marked with magical tattoos.” he holds up Lily and Lucifugus’ wrists for everyone to observe. 

“The magic in the binding helps hold the demon to their side of the bargain, similar to the way a human pact holder can command their demon. If Lucifugus was to try to do something against the terms of their deal, the binding would forcefully put him back in his place. Alternatively, for the human. If they choose to break the deal, they can, however the price for breaking a deal will be exacted.”

“What sort of price?” Lily asks, already regretting her decision to make this deal.

The professor shrugs and gives her a wicked smile. “No one ever knows exactly. The severity depends on the nature of your deal. You might go blind, or maybe all your hair will fall out?” he replies as he walks back to his desk.  _ Wait, it’s just something random then?! _ Lily thinks in alarm. “Everyone else needs to write a five thousand word paper on deals. Class dismissed.”

“See you later, Lily.” Lucifugus winks, leaving Lily alone. She takes her scrunching out of her hair and wears it on her wrist to cover up the thin band of a tattoo that circles her wrist like a bracelet. 

  
Her last class of the day is Devildom Botany, which she has with the rest of the exchange students. They’re talking animatedly when Lily arrives. Luke looks offended, which isn’t too unusual. Solomon looks amused. 

“What’s going on?” Lily asks, taking her seat. 

“Have you seen the RAD newspaper?!” Luke asks, sounding outraged. Lily shakes her head, she hasn’t. “Good. These demons are ridiculous. Printing such blatant lies…”

“Unfortunately you’re the topic.” Solomon informs her. “I’m sure your demons will cause some drama over it. Best prepare yourself.” he says with a teasing grin.

Lily furrows her brows. Why would she be in the paper? Then she remembers the conversation she had with Mephistopheles that morning. 

“I’m certain Lucifer will be furious.” Simeon says as if he’s delighted by the prospect. 

Lily takes the paper from Luke and skims the article. 

_ “Our human exchange student Lily was out of classes for several days. The newspaper has it on good authority that in an effort to undermine Lucifer and the exchange program, Satan turned the human exchange student into a cat. Not even Lucifer was able to undo Satan’s clever spellwork and they were forced to keep the exchange student hidden away with one brother looking over her each day. We also have an eyewitness that reported that at some point the cat escaped the House of Lamentation and made its way to the Demon Lord’s Castle. One eye witness report stated that Lord Diavolo himself was seen speaking with a cat at the castle. Apparently the student was furious that the Prince couldn’t understand her and shredded the castle curtains in revenge.” _

Lily blinks several times after reading the ridiculous article before busting out into a fit of giggles. Of all the preposterous notions. She would rather like to be a cat for a day or two she supposes that could be fun, but how silly!

_ *ahem* _ the botany professor clears her throat and Lily blushes, handing the paper back to Luke and quieting down for class.

  
After classes are finished for the day, Mammon is walking her back to the House of Lamentation when they hear someone call out to them from the RAD assembly hall. “Lily! I didn’t mean any harm. Please put in a good word for me to Lucifer!” 

Her and Mammon look up to find Mephistopheles hanging from the ceiling. Mammon chuckles, clicking his tongue. “Ha! Ya brought this on yourself Mephisto!” looking all too pleased that someone else is at the end of Lucifer’s foul mood this time.

Lily shakes her head, she supposes nothing should surprise her anymore as they make their leave. Arriving home they can hear Lucifer shouting in his study, apparently interrogating Satan to see if he had anything to do with the newspaper article. 

“Dontcha worry about Satan.” Mammon says after seeing Lily’s face. “If ya interfere you’re only gonna make it worse for you and for him.”

Lily nods and makes her way to her room, turning on her lamp and lying underneath it. It’s been a long weird day again and the retreat begins in the morning.

Just as she’s dozing off under her lamp, her D.D.D. pings her with an incoming message. She’s surprised to find a text from Lord Diavolo. Why is he messaging her? Is it about the newspaper article?

**Lord Diavolo <> Lily**

**< Lord Diavolo:** Stray cats are so whimsical.   
**< Lord Diavolo: ** One of them got inside the castle and started playing with the curtains.   
**< Lord Diavolo: ** Then, it ripped the curtain and ran off.

_ Weird.  _ Lily thinks. Is he having a laugh at her expense? How does she respond?

**> Lily:** Will that be expensive to fix?  
**< Lord Diavolo:** It’s not a large tear, so a little repair magic should do the trick.  
**< Lord Diavolo:** I’m just sad that the cat ran off.  
**< Lord Diavolo:** I’m not angry, so I hope it will come visit again. 

_ Strange.  _ Lily can’t decide if this really happened or if he’s teasing her somehow? Maybe there was a kernel of truth to the newspaper article after all?


	37. The Retreat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The retreat begins at the Demon Lord's Castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to Cluelesse once again, who helped me spruce up the dialogue and bring some extra personality to the chapter.

Lily wakes up, it’s early and she turns on her lamp and lays under it while she reflects on the night before. After everyone had gone to bed and the house was quiet she snuck up to the attic. She’d been worried, everyone is going to be gone for a few nights and Belphegor is going to be all alone in the house. Well, more alone than he already is. She’s worried that Lucifer might let him go hungry while they were gone so she’d brought him some food and snacks she’d been able to sneak out of the kitchen. Something that is fairly easy to do considering that she sleeps next door. She’d also brought him some books from her human world collection.

Of course, he hadn’t acted appreciative at all. Lily was still glad she did it though. If anything, she could rest easy and not dwell on him during the retreat. She was getting tired just thinking about it. So she’s decided to lay here until someone comes and drags her out of her room. 

It’s not long before Lucifer knocks on her door and tells her to be ready and out in the foyer in fifteen. Maybe she doesn’t need to be dragged away after all, she quickly packs a bag, she doesn’t need much for two nights away. Asmodeus won’t approve but that’s nothing new. She’s glad she showered the night before as she quickly throws on a clean outfit from her closet. Not wanting to mess with her hair she quickly braids it over her shoulder and calls it good enough. 

As Lily makes her way to the foyer, Mammon is descending the stairs with a bag slung over his shoulder looking to be in good spirits. 

“All right! It’s finally time for our retreat! Three days and two nights!” He cheers loudly. 

_ Huh. That’s interesting.  _ Lily thinks to herself. Mammon was being really negative about the trip before and now he seems excited. She wonders why he’s had such a dramatic shift in his mood about this. 

“So, Lily! Are you pumped for this or what?!” Mammon asks her as he joins her in the foyer. 

Lily just blinks at him and shrugs her shoulders. Is she excited? She’s glad not to be stuck in her room but she feels a little nervous to be away from her sun lamp. And Belphegor thinks she should try to get answers about why she was chosen as an exchange student while she’s at the retreat. She’s not even sure where to start with that.

“Quit being such a stick in the mud! Where’s your spirit, huh?! This is excitin’ you should be pumped!” Mammon lectures her. 

Lily smiles, the last time they talked about this, HE was being the stick in the mud. Now he accuses her. She shakes her head. 

“Mammon, you’re being really loud.” Levi complains, walking up and standing next to Lily, looking glum. He’s being dragged out of his room again, and for what? And on top of that, VERY early as well. 

“Aw, what’s wrong with you, Levi?” Mammon ruffles his younger brother’s hair, which is not appreciated by Leviathan. “Get that grumpy look off your face, killjoy! Ah, I know what’s goin’ on here. You stayed up real late last night playin’ games and readin’ manga and stuff, didn’t ya? Yup, I knew it! One point for Mammon!” he laughs at his own joke. 

Levi makes an even more sour face, pushing Mammon away from him. “You’re like...too excited right now, Mammon, and it’s really annoying.”

“Mammon being annoying is nothing new, but yeah...this morning he’s ESPECIALLY annoying.” Satan says. He has his bag in one hand and a book he’s reading in the other. He hasn’t looked up from it while he joined them. Lily always wonders how he is able to multitask like that. 

“At first, you were complaining about how this retreat was going to be a drag.” Levi reminds Mammon. 

“Ah shut up, both of you.” Mammon says, looking flustered with a bit of a blush on his face. “Sure, I thought it was gonna be a drag, but now that it’s actually time to go, I’m excited! Anythin’ wrong with that, huh?!”

“What are you, an elementary school kid about to head off on a field trip?” Satan scoffs, rolling his eyes, still continuing with reading his book. 

“Whoa, Beel, that bag of yours is waay too big! Pff, I bet it’s stuffed with food, ain’t it?!” Mammon laughs, ignoring Satan when Beel comes into the foyer with a huge duffle bag thrown over his shoulder. 

“Well, what about Asmodeus? I’d say he’s the one you should be criticising when it comes to luggage.” Beel shrugs, trying to get the attention off of his food stuffed duffle. It’s not like it’s news that he likes to eat a lot, right?

“Gooood Morning, everyone! My, you’re all early! Ugh, I just couldn’t decide how I wanted to do my hair this morning, you know? It took so much time…” Asmo tells them, still checking himself, or his hair, in the foyers mirror. Lily tries not to roll her eyes, his hair looks the same as it does every single day since she’s been in the Devildom. 

“Asmodeus. WHY do you have so much luggage?” Satan asks. Lily feels like they’ve already been through this before with the camping trip. _Is this how they are every time they leave the House for a few days?_ Lily suddenly can almost feel sympathy for Lucifer.

“Yeah. It’s only for two nights, ya know? You think you’re headin’ off on a tour of the three worlds or somethin’?” Mammon mocks him smugly. 

“This is actually quite a bit less than what I wanted to bring.” Asmodeus replies dignified. Then he continues, pouting. “But then it occurred to me that I only have two hands, so I could only bring two suitcases with me.” 

Levi launches into some sort of explanation about luggage and conventions which no one really understands or cares about. So as usual, they ignore him as they let him ramble on until Beel finally interrupts him. 

“So what do you have in there, Asmo? Food?” Beel asks. It’s always good to know where the food is, is his motto.

“Ugh, no, of course not. I’m not  **you** , Beel!” Asmo protests, practically stomping his foot. “I guess most of it is just clothes, makeup and random beauty products?” he muses. “I mean, everyone expects me to look my best at all times, now don’t they?”

_ Does he really think that?  _ Lily thinks to herself.  _ That sounds exhausting. _

“Man, even LEVI makes more sense than you, Asmo!” Mammon throws his arms up, rolling his eyes for good measure. For once, even Satan nods in agreement, still with his nose in his book.

“It looks like everyone’s here.” Lucifer says, looking somewhat surprised and pleased that he’s not having to go hunt anyone down and drag them out of their rooms. “It won’t do to keep Diavolo waiting. We should head over to the Demon Lord’s Castle right now. I want to get there before the angels and Solomon do.” Lucifer informs everyone.

Lily doesn’t understand the need or reason behind this, but she doesn’t question him. She’ll try to stay on his good side as much as she can, during this retreat. 

“So, we’re goin’ to the Demon Lord’s Castle..I hope you’re ready, Lily, ‘cause there ain’t no guarantee you’ll come back from this alive, ya know?” Mammon tells Lily in a dramatic gesture. Lily blinks at Mammon with her wide eyes, as she moves to follow Lucifer out of the door. 

“I know you want Lily to be interested in you, but you do realize it sounds as if you’re trying to scare someone, don’t you Mammon?” Satan says with a sigh, picking up his bag from the floor and ready to go. 

“What?! Whaddya mean?! Pff, why would I want Lily to be interested in me huh? There are a lotta rumors about that place, that’s a fact. From what I hear, there are ghosts wanderin’ the halls, y’know?” Mammon argues, flustered and blushing. 

“Well what I heard is that there’s an underground labyrinth beneath the castle.” Satan states, there’s a fascinated twinkle in his eye. “I would like to see that.” 

“So, ghosts and an underground labyrinth, huh..? I could totally believe both of those rumors. But at the same time -” 

“Quit standing around and get going!” Lucifer orders, tired of his brother’s meaningless conjecture. He is pleased to notice that at least the human had the decency to follow him.

“Right, right. I’m comin’...” Mammon grumbles, grabbing Lily’s wrist and pulling her along, as he overtakes her with his longer legs. Lily wonders if anything they said is true. She shouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point. 

  
They walk to the RAD campus gates where a large black limo waits to drive them all to the Demon Lord’s Castle. It doesn’t take them long to arrive and they are greeted immediately by Barbatos and Lord Diavolo himself.

“Well, good morning. I must say, I couldn’t wait for you to arrive!” Lord Diavolo greets them cheerfully. Lily can’t help smiling, his moods really are infectious as strange as he is. 

“Welcome to the Demon Lord’s Castle. It’s a pleasure to have you here.” Barbatos says more formally, offering them all a small bow. 

“Good morning, Diavolo. And you too, Barbatos.” Lucifer is just as formal as Barbatos. “Well, it seems that neither Solomon nor the angels have arrived yet, have they?” he adds, looking around. A triumphant smirk on his face.  _ Oh, that’s why, _ Lily thinks.

“Man, now that’s just shameless.” Mammon shakes his head. “Listen to you pretendin’ like you didn’t hurry over here, all frantic to make it to Lord Diavolo before Solomon and the angels could.” he grumbles.

Lily watches as Lucifer steps closer to his brother with narrowed eyes. “Hm? Did you say something Mammon?”

“D’AAAAAH OW OW OW! My foot! You’re steppin’ on MY FOOT, Lucifer!....Lucifer sir!” Mammon cries out and Lily moves away from him as he starts hopping on one foot. 

“Well, Lucifer, Mammon, I see that you two are getting along swimmingly as usual.” Diavolo laughs, Lily looks at him with wide eyes. Is he joking or are they just here for his personal entertainment?

“At least Mammon is predictable. No matter what, you can always count on him to act stupid..” Asmo complains while inspecting his manicure. He might have broken a nail while carrying both his suitcases.

“Yeah. It’s embarrassing to think that Solomon and the angels are about to get a front row seat to all of Mammon’s idiocy.” Satan adds with a sigh. He is definitely not looking forward to this, but he did politely put his book away.

Before a fight between the three of them can break out, Barbatos announces the arrival of Solomon and the two angels. Lily is happy to see her fellow exchange students arriving and waves happily to them.

  
“Hello, and good morning! We’ve already got quite the crowd here, don’t we?” Simeon says in his congenial way.

“You demons sure know how to get an early start. I see you managed to get here before us.” Solomon says. Lily wonders if he had been hoping to get there first for some reason? Is this some kind of competition between Lucifer and Solomon?

Before she can think about it more, Luke pushes his way over to her. “Lily!” He wraps her up in a hug. Lily smiles and returns his hug. 

“What the..! HEY!” Mammon grumbles having been shoved aside in the process. “What’s the big idea runnin’ up and huggin’ Lily like that?!” He doesn’t like it at all if someone touches his human! 

But Luke ignores him, of course. “I’m so happy to see that you’re still feeling better.”

Lily nods and smiles at Solomon. “Solomon’s invention really helped.”

“Ugh, THIS is why I can’t stand normies…” Levi mutters. Of course the other human gets all the praise.

“Your help was important too.” Lily tells Levi, feeling his jealousy surging along their pact. 

“W-Whatever.” Levi shrugs, embarrassed and blushing. 

“All right, then. Now that we’re all here, perhaps we should go ahead and explain how this retreat is going to work.” Lord Diavolo takes back the reins. 

“Certainly, My Lord. The aim of this retreat is for demons, angels, and humans to intermingle so that each may gain a better understanding of the other.” Barbatos begins to explain. 

Mammon however apparently doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. “Well, as we’re stayin’ the night, I say the best way to intermingle is by havin’ a pillow fight!” he laughs. 

“Now then, I’ll begin by explaining what we have planned for each day of the retreat.” Barbatos smoothly keeps speaking over Mammon as if he wasn’t even there.

“Wha...so you’re just gonna ignore me?!” Mammon throws up his arms in outrage. Lily tugs on Mammon’s sleeve. “Shh.” she tells him, giving him a disapproving look with her wide eyes. 

Levi is snickering at his brother but Mammon can’t say anything, he can’t tell if it’s because Lily gave him a command or just because he wants to please her. Either way, it’s annoying. 

“After you’ve taken your belongings up to your rooms, we’ll begin with a tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle, where you’ll have a chance to learn about Devildom History. We’ll be serving Devildom cuisine for dinner tonight, and I’ve taken the liberty of volunteering to prepare tonight’s meal myself.”

“Mmmm, Barbatos’s authentic Devildom cuisine…” Lily giggles at the dreamy look Beel gets on his face. 

“Each day, we plan to have a representative from one of the three worlds prepare a meal for us. So tomorrow Luke will be making food from the Celestial Realm. I’m sure it will be quite a treat.”

“Food from the Celestial Realm, huh…” Beel starts drooling even more.

“Was that your stomach growling just now, Beel? Because for a moment I thought I heard thunder.” Asmo laughs. 

“Remember Luke, you’re making DINNER. Which means more than just sweets, understand?” Simeon reminds him.

“Aww..o-okaaay…” Luke replies. Lily can’t tell if he’s sulking because he can’t just make sweets or because Simeon called him out in front of everyone. Probably for both reasons. 

“Um, Beel...you know you’re drooling.” Levi tells his brother, no shortage of disgust on his face. He takes a step away from him, before he slips over Beelzebubs drool. That would be embarrassing.. 

“Tomorrow we’ll be having a scavenger hunt.” Barbatos continues despite all the interruptions that keep occurring. 

“..Eh? A what now?” Mammon asks, not being able to stay silent for long it seems.

“A scavenger hunt. It’s a game you play in groups. You use pictures and hints to help you hunt down hidden items.” Satan explains, sounding tired for having to explain everything to some of his brothers, all the time.

“Incidentally, there will also be a dance following dinner tomorrow. During the dance there will be additional demons, angels and humans in attendance.” Barbatos says, still not seeming to be bothered by all the comments and interruptions during his explanation.

A Dance? Lily doesn’t know anything about dancing. They won’t expect her to dance will they?

“I expect you all to conduct yourselves according to your station.” Lucifer warns his brothers. “Do not embarrass me.” there’s a barely veiled threat there, but Lily barely takes note as she’s still spiraling in her head over the dance.

“Then on day three - the final day - We’ll get to enjoy food from the human world for lunch, which Lily will be preparing for us.” Barbatos finishes.

Hearing her name jars her out of her thoughts. She blinks up at Barbatos. She can cook, she certainly doesn’t mind it, but it would have been nice if someone had told her so she could have prepared some ideas ahead of time.

“Oh? Um..okay…” she responds lamely.

Barbatos gives her a curious look before turning to Lucifer. “I did send notice regarding our plans. I was assured she was feeling up to it?”

“Mammon, I believe I told you to let Lily know about this?” Lucifer glares at his brother, folding his arms. 

Mammon looks surprised. “H-Huh? W-wait a minute, didn’t I, um, mention that?...No? Well THAT’s weird..ahahaha” he tries to laugh it off but everyone is glaring or giving him disapproving stares. 

Except for Lily who just pats his arm. “It’s okay...we’re all forgetful at times.” she assures him. 

“There’s no need to try and make anything complicated.” Solomon assures her with a kind smile. “Even something simple would be an interesting treat for them. I haven’t eaten any human world food myself in awhile. I’m really looking forward to what you make, Lily.”

Lily beams at Solomon for his encouragement. However some of the demons are giving Solomon dubious looks, feeling as if he’s somehow insulted them. 

  
“Well then, why don’t we move on to the room assignments?” Barbatos suggests, getting them back to the next topic at hand. “Lord Diavolo will be sharing a room with Lucifer.”

Lucifer looks momentarily surprised. “You have your own bedroom here. Why share a room with me?” he asks Diavolo, not looking pleased at all. Lily thinks that Lucifer must be the type that really holds their privacy dear. Or it might be that, even though they’re friends, Lucifer thinks that Lord Diavolo can be just as loud and obnoxious as his brothers at times.  _ Yes, that must be it. _ Lily nods, not noticing how some of the others look at her curiously.

Lily notices that, as usual, Lord Diavolo isn’t phased by Lucifer one bit. “Why do you think? Because this is a retreat, of course!” he laughs jovially. 

“You certainly seem to be looking forward to this.” Lucifer comments dryly. 

“Luke, Beelzebub, Leviathan, you will be sharing a room.” Barbatos gives the next room assignment.

“Oooh, what’s this? Looks yummy…” Beel says, noticing something in the front compartment of Levi’s luggage.

“Hey! That’s a FIGURINE! It’s Ruri-chan’s pet Peete the Pancake! It’s NOT edible!” Levi shouts angrily, snatching away his figurine before it ends up in Beels mouth, or worse: his stomach. 

“I have a really, really bad feeling about this..” Luke says, shaking his head and looking worried at the two demons arguing. Lily wraps her arm around his shoulder to provide him some comfort. “I’m sure it’ll be okay…” she tells him, hoping that it will be. 

“Simeon, Asmodeus, Lily, you’ll be sharing a room.” Mammon makes a face and a noise of alarm as Barbatos finishes giving the room assignments. “And Solomon, Mammon, Satan, you’ll be sharing a room as well. And that covers everyone.”

  
“..Yo, Asmodeus. Switch rooms with me!” Mammon says to his brother, he says this in a tone as if he’s trying to be discreet. However, since his speaking volume is always on loud, everyone hears his request just fine.

“...What? Why?” Asmo looks up suspiciously at his brother. Asmo is fine with his room assignment but he wouldn’t mind sharing a room with Solomon and Satan either. 

“Because, um...y’know...Solomon looks like he snores, and...and Satan’s feet probably stink…” Mammon says, scrambling for a reason. 

“Well, that’s an awfully rude thing to accuse me of. And it’s not true.” Solomon says with indignation, while Lily giggles behind her hand.

“My feet don’t smell. Mammon,” Satan says with a deadly glare that can rival Lucifer’s, “the truth is that you want to be in the same room as Lily, don’t you?”

Lily looks at Mammon, wondering if this is true. He's a blushing mess as he stammers “Wh?! You idi…! N-No I don’t! Why would I want to share a room with Lily?! I mean...a human?! And when you sleep in the same room as a human, their smell ends up rubbin’ off on ya. So you should be grateful I’m even willin’ to trade with ya! You should be HONORED, actually!” He ends triumphantly, completely forgetting that Asmodeus would just be trading one room with a human for another one.

Lily hears him and understands she should be offended, but his words contradict the feelings she can sense through their pact. Perhaps this is what it means to be a tsundere? Lily is still trying to learn all these terms that Leviathan is always throwing around. 

“Look at how hard he’s trying to deny it. Loool” Levi begins teasing and laughing at his brother.

Asmo meanwhile smiles wickedly as understanding hits him. “Ah...I seee. So that’s why you want to switch rooms, is it? Well, in that case, the answer is no. Too bad!”

“WHY NOT?!” Mammon demands to know with a shout.

“Maybe because I enjoy seeing that bitter, frustrated look on your face?” Asmo says, getting way too much enjoyment out of torturing his brother. Mammon growls in frustration. Causing Asmo to laugh. “Ahahahaha! Yep, that’s the one! I really DO love that look!”

“How long do you all plan on goofing around? Let’s go. Time to take your belongings up to your rooms.” Lucifer says and grabs Mammon by the ear. Lucifer just knows that Mammon is going to do everything he can to make this retreat unbearable for him. 

“OWWWW! HEY! Lucifer, stop! Quit pullin’ me along by the ear! Ugh, COME ON! What’d I do to deserve this, huh?!” Mammon shouts and squirms trying to get away from Lucifer’s hold as he’s dragged down the hallway.

Simeon links arms with Lily, watching her worried expression as Mammon disappears around the corner with Lucifer. “Don’t worry about them.” the angel laughs, patting her arm.   
  
  
Lily walks with Simeon and Asmodeus as they go to find their assigned rooms. When they enter their shared room, Lily is surprised. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a Demon Lord's Castle but well appointed hotel style rooms weren't really what she pictured. Sure, there was an old world charm to the room but it was overall very modern and comfortable. There were three full sized beds spaced out, a couch and television, plenty of closet space for all of their clothes, well maybe if Asmodeus hadn’t been their roommate anyway. There was even an attached ensuite bathroom. 

“I’m taking the middle bed!” Asmodeus claims immediately. “That way you both get an equal view of my gorgeous self.” he laughs, delighted. 

Lily has known arrogant people before, she’s known people who certainly loved themselves more than anyone else. But she’s never quite met anyone like the Avatar of Lust. She can barely believe that he really believes any of the things he says half the time.    
  
Simeon allows Lily to choose her bed, she picks the one closest to the door. Lily only unpacks a few things and puts them in her bedside dresser. Then she watches as Asmodeus fills up their entire closet with all the wardrobe he brought. 

“Well, it seems we’ve gotten ourselves settled here in our room now. Our belongings are in order, and we’ve decided who’ll be using which bed. So, Asmodeus, Lily, let me take this opportunity to say that I look forward to sharing a space with the two of you these next few days.” Simeon says to them. Lily tries not to giggle, but Simeon has such an interesting way of carrying himself. 

“Yes, me too. And I have to say, Lily, Simeon, you two certainly lucked out, now didn’t you?! Considering you get to share a room with me.” Asmodeus adds, looking very pleased with himself. 

Lily has to suppress an eye roll while Simeon smiles graciously. “Ah, yes. I suppose you could say we’re lucky to have you on the team.” he replies.  _ Wow. He really is an angel.  _ Lily thinks to herself. 

Asmo giggles. “hehe. Now, now, there’s no need to hide how thrilled you really are right now.” he tells Simeon before launching into a whole monologue about how blessed they really are to be sharing a room with him. He sounds a lot like Leviathan right now, only the subject matter is different.

Lily can’t help it, her mouth hangs open. Everytime she thinks she’s heard Asmodeus say the most outrageous thing, he opens his mouth and proves her wrong. 

“Ahahaha. I have to say, you really are funny, aren’t you Asmodeus?” Simeon laughs heartily.

“Funny? I believe you mean beautiful…” Asmodeus corrects him. “It’s okay, you can just out and say it, you know? What sort of image did you have of me in the first place, Simeon?” he demands to know. 

Lily watches them as if she’s watching a live soap opera. Simeon taps his finger on his chin. “...Hmmm, let me think. Well, I suppose I still think of you the same way I did back when you were up in the Celestial Realm.” he says with a smile that Lily thinks looks nostalgic. “‘Lucifer, the pride of the Celestial Realm, loved by all of creation...There was one angel he thought especially beautiful, one whom he praised and kept at his side. ‘Twas Asmodeus, jewel of the heavens.’” Simeon recites, leaving Lily slightly in awe of his majesty as she begins daydreaming about what that might have been like. 

“Yes...yes, exactly. That’s me!” Asmodeus preens, checking his hair in the mirror again. 

As Lily is wrapped up in her own imagination, she only catches bits and pieces of Simeon’s and Asmodeus’ conversation. 

“I suppose I see you as someone who’s very attached to that reputation, and works day in and day out trying to live up to it.”    
  
“your image of me is of someone who wants to be loved?”    
  
“- that would be accurate.”

“-is there anyone out there who DOESN’T love me?”   
  
“Hmm, I wonder. If you were ever to come across a soul that you couldn’t charm - that you couldn’t control - how would you react? Hmm..” Simeon asks while looking at Lily who is still lost in her own thoughts. “It’s an interesting question, Wouldn’t you agree, Lily?” Simeon asks her, breaking her from her daydreams. 

“Hmm? Oh sure?” Lily blushes, she hadn’t been paying attention. 

Asmodeus turns to her now, “Lily, what do you have to say about this? You think there’s actually someone out there who doesn't love me?” he asks her, his tone incredulous. 

Lily blinks at Asmodeus, she knows which answer he expects and desires of her. She considers telling him what he wants to hear, after all, they just smoothed things over between them and there is no sense in rocking the boat, right? But no, that’s not who she is. She doesn’t lie just because it’s the easy route. 

“Well, I think it’s impossible to please everyone-” she begins to say carefully.

“..Ah, I see what’s going on here.” Asmodeus interupts her with a laugh. “Both of you are jealous of me. That’s it, isn’t it? Ugh, stop it you two. I can’t handle any more jealous people. I can barely tolerate Levi as it is.” he lectures them. 

Lily looks at Simeon.  _ Is he serious? _ She thinks to herself, wishing she could speak to Simeon telepathically. Judging by his expression, he can guess her thoughts well enough. 

“...Though I suppose I CAN understand how you’d envy me. Really, it should be illegal for anyone to be this wonderful, shouldn’t it?” he sighs as if the weight of the world rests on his shoulders. 

“Ahahaha!” Simeon laughs as if it's the most entertaining thing he’s heard in a while. His laugh is infectious and Lily giggles with him. It doesn’t seem to bother Asmodeus at all. Then the door opens and Satan walks in, followed by most of the others too as they all crowd into Lily's room. 

  
“Hey, the tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle is starting soon.” Satan informs them, looking curious as to why everyone is laughing in this room.. 

“Well, I suppose we should get going then.” Simeon says but before he can walk towards the door, Luke gives him a pitiful look. 

“...I want to go home.” Luke tells Simeon, looking sad and tired. He really does look like a poor abandoned puppy like that and Lily just wants to cuddle him. But she also wonders what Beel and Levi have put him through already. Maybe she should have a talk with the two of them. 

“What’s wrong Luke?” Simeon asks him with a gentle smile. “You seemed to be in such high spirits earlier.”

“Yeah.” Asmodeus laughs. “Suddenly that cute little tail of yours is hanging down like a sad doggy, you know?” he teases Luke with a grin. 

“I’m NOT a dog! And I DON'T have a tail!” Luke shouts at Asmodeus. “You’re so lucky, Simeon...Unlike me, you have relatively decent roommates.” Luke tells Simeon with balled fists. “My room is AWFUL! First off, Leviathan is taking up almost half of the room to perform a strange ritual worshipping some sort of idol!” he says, airing his complaints right in front of Levi and Beel. 

Levi shrugs. “Well, tomorrow is the birthday festival for one of my favorite characters. When the clock strikes midnight, I’ve got to go online and start streaming. To share my deep passion, and joy, and infatuation -” he begins to ramble on. 

“Ugh, at least speak in a language I can understand!” Luke shouts, interrupting Levi’s ramble. 

“As for Beelzebub, HE suddenly started eating one of the paintings in our room..”

“That picture of the fruit was too lifelike. I thought it was real.” Beel shrugs as if it’s no big deal. Lily hopes that the picture wasn’t expensive and that Beel won’t get into trouble for it. 

“Right,” Luke rolls his eyes, “but shouldn’t you have realized it was painting BEFORE eating the entire thing?!” he wants to know. 

“It wasn’t bad.” Beelzebub shrugs. “I figured I’d just eat the whole thing, once I started.”

Mammon, who had sat next to her, speaks up. “Hey now, Levi, Beel. You shouldn’t tease the doggy too much, got it?” Lily gives Mammon a bright smile, she likes to see him standing up for Luke, even if he did just call him a dog himself. 

“I’m NOT a doggy!” Luke protests. 

“What’s going on?” Asmodeus asks, narrowing his eyes on Mammon. “Suddenly you seem to be in an awfully good mood, Mammon. Did you spot something in your room that you might be able to sell for a profit?”

Mammon shifts nervously next to Lily. “Wh….?! N-N-No, I’m not plannin’ to do anything like that!” he protests. “I mean, I’m totally not thinkin’ about maybe stealin’ something outta the castle if I get the chance! And it’s not like Solomon and Satan and me realized we’ve got shared interests and common goals because Solomon wants some magical items that belong to the Demon King and Satan just wants to give Lucifer a black eye and that suddenly things got more interestin’ when we realized we could work together. It’s not like that at all, understand?!”

Everyone is staring at Mammon. Lily shakes her head, her proud moment is snuffed out as quick as it had come.

“Solomon, shut that idiot up right now.” Satan growls, looking like he might jump across the room and throttle his older brother. 

“Don’t look at me.” Solomon says, shaking his head. “Isn’t he your responsibility? You are technically brothers, after all.” 

“I uh..forgot somethin’ in my room.” Mammon says and speeds out. Satan hot on his tail. 

Lily wonders if she should give her three demons orders to behave. She doesn’t really feel good about commanding them though. Most of the time it’s by accident or when they really need to be. She wants them to respect her and so she needs to respect them too. Still, she can’t help feel responsible for them when they cause trouble. 

“You look like you’re hard at work thinking about something.” Solomon says with a grin, taking Mammon’s spot next to Lily. 

Lily smiles sheepishly. “How do you do it? Manage so many demons?” she asks him in a whisper. 

Solomon laughs. “I don’t manage them Lily. They’re their own demons. I only utilize their powers and skills when I have need of them.” he tells her. 

“Oh...so you don’t feel...responsible...when they misbehave?” she asks, still whispering.

Solomon smiles kindly at Lily. “They’re demons. They’ll always misbehave, as you put it.” his grin widens. “You have much to learn. And no I don’t feel responsible. I wonder why you do though?” he says, searching her eyes as if the answers lie somewhere inside. Lily ducks her chin and looks away shyly.


	38. A Tour Gone Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily tours the Demon Lord's Castle

Solomon walks with Lily back to the main hall, where Lord Diavolo is waiting for them. Barbatos is nowhere to be seen however.

“Well, it looks like everyone’s here now.” Diavolo smiles and Lily has to wonder why he looks so excited about all this. Is it genuine or put on? It’s hard for her to tell.

“In that case let’s begin our tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle -” Lucifer begins to say. 

“...Oh man, that was CLOSE! Good thing Lucifer didn’t hear what I said earlier.” Mammon sighs when his brother isn’t instantly punishing him when he walks into the hall. 

Lucifer of course hears him since he never speaks quietly enough, narrowing his eyes he turns his attention to his brother. “Mammon, when the tour is over, I expect you to come to my room and explain everything about what you just mentioned in detail.”

“YIKES!” Mammon throws his hands up and ducks behind Lily, as if that will afford him any protection. 

“What an idiot…” Satan shakes his head in disbelief, even though it’s really no surprise.

  
“Now, now, I think it’s nice to have at least one foolish character in the group you can tease. It lightens things up a little, don’t you think?”

Lily hears an unfamiliar voice speak and she, along with most of the others begin to look around to see where the voice came from. 

“HEY! Who’re you callin’ foolish?!” Mammon demands, hands on his hips, staring down towards the floor. 

“Where did that voice come from?” Simeon inquires. 

“Whoopsie! I suppose I really should have introduced myself earlier! Hello there, I’m little D. No. 2! Ah but call me Number two if you would, mmkay?” A very round little demon walks into the center of their group.

“Wh-what is THAT?! A tiny demon…?” Luke asks, looking horrified. 

“Looks yummy..” Beel says, his stomach growling, causing the Little D to jump back from the demon in surprise.

“Careful, Beel. He’ll make you sick to your stomach.” Solomon teases.

“Only if  **you** cook him first.” Leviathan mutters under his breath, earning an elbow to the ribs from Asmodeus as he tries to stifle a giggle. 

“Oh! You’re so adorable!” Lily gushes, dropping down to her knees so she can be closer to the Little D’s own height. She’d like to poke his smooth looking cheeks but the large mouth full of razor sharp teeth makes her cautious. This isn’t an animal after all. The little D is smiling at her and if he wasn’t the deepest shade of obsidian she’d have been able to see that she had made the little demon blush.

“Ain’t nothin’ adorable about him!” Mammon tells her roughly as he grabs her arm and pulls her up and away from the little demon. “Ya really don’t got a lick of sense do ya?!”

“HEY!” the little D protests. “The little lady’s got taste!”

“Oi! She ain’t little compared to you! Ya pipsqueak!”

Lord Diavolo laughs jovially, interrupting their banter. “Apparently Barbatos has some student council business to attend at the moment, so I thought I’d ask number two here to be our tour guide.” He explains. “He may be small, but he's very helpful.”

“Yes. He’s MUCH more helpful than a certain OTHER “number two” I know.” Lucifer adds with a wry laugh. 

“A certain other number two?....who’s that?” Mammon wants to know.

Levi sighs. “You know, every once in a long while, I’m actually a little envious of you for being like this, Mammon…”

Mammon looks around at the resigned faces of his brothers, wondering what their deal is.

  
“The history of the Demon Lord's Castle is the history of the Devildom itself! We’re going to be viewing all sorts of historical artifacts and works of art houses here in the castle. And in the process, you’ll learn all about the Devildom.” The little demon explains. Lily wishes she had brought a notepad, she might learn things that would help in her history class. 

“Boring…” Mammon complains loudly. 

“So, let’s start with this portrait here!” The little demon says, ignoring Mammon. Lily realizes that a lot of people do this to cope with Mammon. 

“I doubt you even need to introduce HIM, right?” Satan shakes his head, looking impatient.

“Don’t be so sure, Satan. After all, I’m guessing Lily doesn’t know who this is.” Simeon interjects. Lily can guess that the portrait is of one of the Demon Kings, it makes the most sense after all yet she knows out of everyone here she’s the least educated.

“Right, so this is a portrait of the great Demon King himself!” The little demon confirms Lily’s own thoughts. 

“Ah, right, so that’s what he looks like. The last time I saw him was at a ceremony over a thousand years ago.” Luke nods, as if he’s trying to recall the memory in more detail. Lily inspects the portrait more closely. I suppose what they say is true about demon breeding, Diavolo looks nothing like his father. She wonders if he looks anything like his mother?

“Yes, I haven’t seen my father in several hundred years myself. He’s slumbering at the bottom of the Devildom now. I’d say he isn’t much interested in the world at large these days.” Diavolo tells them, adding to the history. It doesn’t escape Lily’s notice that the light in his eyes has dimmed a bit as he tells them this. 

Lily can’t help staring at Diavolo, she feels a sudden swelling of compassion for him and for the first time she feels like she can connect with the strange Prince. She wonders if he misses his father the same way that she misses hers? Does he feel as if there’s an empty place in his heart? Sure, the circumstances are not the same. He at least knows where to find his father. Still, she can’t help wonder if he’s been as lonely as she has. 

Lord Diavolo laughs, “Lily, you might make a demon blush, staring at them so.” the Prince teases her. 

Lily blinks at him. “Do you miss your father?” she asks him with compassion in her eyes. She barely registers the noises of surprise and shock from the demons. Diavolo’s eyes widened in surprise at her question for only a moment. 

Lucifer’s about to scold Lily for saying something so personal but Lord Diavolo lets out a hearty laugh. “You’re truly a splendid specimen of humankind. Delightful.” 

  
Solomon clears his throat and changes the subject. “That crown there...what is it? I’m guessing it must belong to the Demon King?”

“Hmm? ...Oh, you’re right! I didn’t even notice that crown there. And as for whether it belongs to the Demon King..I think maybe it could?” Little D tries to answer, but he’s still distracted by what was happening before. 

“Actually, that belonged to the previous Demon King.” Lucifer corrects, anxious to move on from the uncomfortable moment the human girl created. 

Lily turns away from Diavolo to look at the crown, still a bit lost in her thoughts. 

“Oh wow! It looks like you’re right, actually! The former Demon King’s inscription is etched into the inside surface!” 

“Huh, interesting. You certainly do know a lot about this stuff don’t you Lucifer?” Asmodeus comments. 

“That’s because when I first came here, Diavolo explained what each item here was. It took him hours.” Lucifer replies, barely suppressing an eye roll. 

“Haha right! I did, didn’t I? Ah, the memories!” Diavolo laughs, slapping Lucifer on the back, earning himself a glare from the Avatar of Pride. 

“Man, I’ve gotta hand it to Lord Diavolo. Even when Lucifer gets sarcastic like that, it STILL doesn’t bother him!” Mammon shakes his head, as if he can’t understand how Diavolo puts up with it. 

“Assuming it registered as sarcasm to him in the first place.” Solomon whispers to Lily, with a smirk on his face. Lily smiles at Solomon. _ I think this one is trouble. _ She tells herself. Still she can’t help enjoying his company, he’s her only human ally after all. 

Little D number two continues his tour and Lily finds herself fascinated with all the objects and history in the Castle. Eventually they enter a large room full of stairs leading to various wings of the Castle. Lily has never seen so many paintings in one place, it makes her a little dizzy as she looks around. She’s barely registering the conversation going on around her until Luke exclaims loudly. 

  
“Wow, there’s even a picture of the Celestial Realm here!”

“Ah yes. I believe this was painted around the time that I first met Lucifer.” Diavolo muses happily, looking nostalgic. 

“Hey, let’s not bring that up -” Lucifer begins to say with a frown. 

“Oh, what’s the harm in it?” Diavolo laughs, disregarding Lucifer. “The first time I met you, you were simply so divine, so awe-inspiring that you took my breath away. I couldn’t believe such a beautiful, magnificent angel actually existed. And then there was the way you refused to even shake my hand at first.” He laughs heartily. 

Lily tries not to giggle, if looks could kill she’s sure Lord Diavolo would be dead right now. Lucifer looks appalled. 

“Why do you sound so happy right now..?” Lucifer asks, his voice full of disdain. 

“He wouldn’t even shake your hand..? Wow, that’d be unthinkable now.” Satan says with a snicker, earning a deadly glare from Lucifer.

“All of this walking around is making me hungry.” Beel complains loudly. 

“Man, this tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle only just started, and I’m already totally sick of it! Lololo” And….sent!” Lily looks at Levi and wonders why he’s speaking aloud what he’s writing on his DDD.

“Uh, don’t you think it’s a BAD IDEA to be posting that sort of stuff online?!” Luke asks with a gasp. The little angel really can’t get used to these demons. 

“HEY...BEEL! Stop gnawin’ on my elbow!” Mammon suddenly shouts, wiping Beel’s slobber off his jacket with a disgusted face. 

Lucifer is about to unleash some of his pent up frustrations with Diavolo onto his brother’s but he doesn’t get the chance when an ear piercing scream suddenly fills the halls. Everyone looks surprised but Mammon nearly jumps out of his skin and grabs Lily’s hand. 

Lily looks at her hand and then back up at Mammon. This is the first time he’s actually held her hand, he’s usually just grabbing her wrist or arm and hauling her around after him. Mammon follows her sight down to their entwined hands. His face turns a deep shade of red. “J-just didn’t want ya to get scared human.” he tells her, not meeting her eyes. “You’re lucky ya got the Great Mammon here to protect ya!”

Lily gives him a small smile and squeezes his hand, the warmth of it feels nice. Mammon relaxes a bit and gives her a small smile. That is until the piercing scream sounds again, making them both jump. 

“Ooh, I HAVE to post about this! “Just heard a terrible scream! @ the Demon Lord’s Castle” And….done!” Levi says, looking really pleased with himself. Luke is still looking at him as if he’s an idiot.

  
“Wait a minute. I feel like I’ve heard a scream like that somewhere before…” Asmodeus says with a thoughtful look on his face. Lily doesn’t even want to know, she decides. 

“How could you...HOW COULD YOU…?! Asmodeus...this is all your fault! All of it, YOUR FAULT..!” A mysterious voice begins screaming at him and Lily can only assume this voice belongs to the same person who screamed earlier. But where are they?

“Is that portrait talking?” Solomon says suddenly pinpointing where the voice is coming from. Lily turns to look at the portrait Solomon is pointing to. It’s a portrait of a gorgeous woman. 

“Bingo! Yes, you’re exactly right!” Number 2 confirms with a toothy smile. 

“That’s a portrait of Helene. She was a witch.” Lucifer informs them, looking perturbed. 

“Helene…? Hmm, Helene...why does that name sound familiar?” Asmodeus says, tapping his lower lip with a finger. Lucifer is glaring at him. “...ah yes! Yes, of course! Helene! I remember now!” he laughs as the memory has finally surfaced. 

“So what’s goin’ on here, anyway?” Mammon asks, creeped out by the talking portrait. He’d rather move on from anything remotely haunted. 

“Ooh! I can answer that question!” the Little D says, waving his hand and looking way too amused by whatever is going on. “Helene was once known far and wide as a witch of unparalleled beauty! Countless humans, angels, and demons alike fell under her spell. But then Asmodeus here came along and seduced her, leading her to betray her lover at the time.”

_ Well that’s awful.  _ Lily thinks to herself. She supposes she shouldn’t be surprised, this is the Avatar of Lust they are talking about. 

“Yes, I had a feeling that’s where this story was headed.” Simeon says with a sigh, probably sharing similar thoughts as Lily.

Number 2 nods his head happily. He launches into the story about the war that was a result of Asmodeus’ seduction. Lily can’t help thinking that the story sounds awfully familiar, like something she read in a history book once. 

“So you’re saying all this happened because Asmodeus fooled around with some woman long ago?” Satan says, sounding bored. 

“One of Asmodeus’s ex-girlfriends just showed up! OMG!” And..sent!” Levi is in his own little world with his DDD.

“Leviathan, you know you sound like a teenage girl, right?” Luke asks, not able to stay silent any longer. The angel just shakes his head, looking indignant as Levi completely ignores him. 

  
Asmodeus laughs off everyone’s comments, saying that was so long ago, as if that makes it any better? Then he proceeds to shamelessly flirt with Helene as if he isn’t the cause of her woes. 

“Well, isn’t that nice, running into an old friend again like this.” Lord Diavolo laughs, looking thoroughly amused. 

Lucifer shakes his head. “It doesn’t seem like  **she** considers herself an  **old friend.”**

**“** ...After what happened, I incurred the wrath of the nephew of my former lover, who was a sorcerer. He sealed me inside this painting.” Helene is telling Asmodeus. The fact that her voice is full of anger and loathing is completely lost on him. 

Asmodeus launches into a whole series of questions and comments about this nephew, completely ignoring the suffering Helene has gone through. Lily can only stare, she knew he was self absorbed but this is just a whole new level. She can’t imagine what it would be like to be stuck in a painting for so long. Why does Lord Diavolo have her displayed in here? Surely he has the power to help the witch out of the painting? The whole situation seems absurd and cruel to her. 

  
“Silence!” Helene finally screeches, fed up with Asmodeus’ self important dialogue. 

“Ahahah! Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve heard you say that! Ah, the memories..” Asmodeus sighs in a daydream like manner. 

“Asmodeus..you haven’t changed one bit! You’re still the same awful womanizer of a demon you’ve always been. Not a day has passed that I haven’t thought of how much I hate you, how much I RESENT you! NOT ONE SINGLE DAY!” the woman in the painting rages, Lily can’t help but feel very sorry for her. 

“Mmhm, thank you. I missed you too, you know?” Asmodeus tells her, flipping his hair and giving the portrait bedroom eyes. 

“Maaan, she’s not gettin’ through to him AT ALL!” Mammon says, throwing up hands in disbelief. 

“I may be imprisoned inside this portrait, but I haven’t lost all my power. Oh no...In fact, I still have enough power to capture you, as you’re about to see!” Helene threatens as the pressure in the room begins to fluctuate. Lord Diavolo, Lucifer and Satan have the common sense to move further away from the portrait. 

“Oh dear! Everyone be careful now, mmkay? Because it just so happens that Helene’s portrait is known to drag those who look at it inside the painting itself!” Number 2 warns them belatedly as he scampers behind Lord Diavolo’s leg. 

“D’AAAAAAAH, I’M BEIN’ DRAGGED IN! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHIN’ EARLIER?!” Mammon yells, cursing at the little demon.

“Aaaaah! Mammon grabbed onto me, and now he’s pulling ME into the painting too! OMG!”...sent!” Lily can’t believe that Levi is still messing around on his DDD at a time like this, she slowly begins to back away.

“Whaddya expect?! You were the closest thing for me to grab! Now c’mon, Levi! Dig in! We’re losin’ ground here!”

“You know I sit inside all day everyday! I’m not strong enough for this!” 

“...Ugh. I’m so hungry that I’m too weak to keep from being pulled in…”

“Hey, Solomon? Why are you holding onto my arm?”

“Because when it comes down to it, this is all your fault. So if I’m going in, so are you.”

Lily has been backing away from them as they banter and Helene’s magic begins to exert more force on the room. 

“Well then, in that case, I’m pulling in Lily along with us!” Asmodeus giggles and grabs Lily’s arm just before she reaches the safety of the other group. 

“HEY…!” Satan, who is closest, tries to grab Lily and pull her back but it’s too late and she’s suddenly sucked into the painting along with the rest of them. 

  
“Th...They’re gone!” Luke gasps. 

“Oh dear. It looks as though they went inside the painting, doesn’t it?” Simeon looks a tad concerned and Luke assumes it's because Lily was pulled in with them. 

“One way or another, some annoying problem always has to come up, doesn’t it?” Lucifer sighs wearily. “Well whatever. Let’s continue the tour.”

Satan gives Lucifer a scathing look. “You’re just going to leave them, the human was pulled in too you know?”

“Oh, now why the concern over the human Satan? You haven’t gone soft have you?” Lucifer mocks him. “Lily has all of them to look after her, it should prove to be a good lesson for her.” 

Satan merely glares back at Lucifer, he knows there’s no point in further arguing with the arrogant bastard.

“Are you sure you should leave your brothers there inside that painting?” Diavolo asks.

“Well, they’ve got Beel with them, so I’m sure they’ll manage to make it out in time for dinner one way or another.” Lucifer says with an unconcerned shrug.


	39. The Underground Labyrinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ex-lovers spat lands Lily and some of the others in the fabled underground labyrinth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Cluelesse who once again helped me with some "sprucing" and editing on this chapter.

“Lily….Lily….” A voice beckons to her in the darkness and she feels a cool palm caress her cheek. Her eyes blink open, Solomon is kneeling over her. His face illuminated by a torch set into a stone wall. 

“Solomon?” Lily asks, blinking as her eyes adjust. It’s considerably darker here. 

Solomon gives her a soft smile. “Ah, good you’re awake.” he gives her a hand and helps her stand. As her eyes adjust, all she can see is a long dark corridor that seems to stretch on forever. 

“Where are we? Is this the painting?” she asks, looking around.

Solomon shakes his head. “I only had time to disrupt her magic. We were not pulled inside the painting but we were sent somewhere.” He pauses to look around, stroking his chin. “My best guess is that we’re somewhere underneath the Castle, perhaps in the fabled underground Labyrinth.”

 _Hmm. Cursed paintings, underground labyrinths. It’s certainly never dull in the Devildom. I suppose Mammon wasn’t completely going overboard with his concerns._ Lily muses to herself, wondering what they’re going to do next.

“Where’s everyone else?” Lily asks, Solomon was holding onto Asmodeus and Asmodeus had grabbed her. But her and Solomon seem to be alone here now.

“Good Question. I know they were sucked in along with us...but we’re the only ones in the immediate vicinity, as far as i can see.” Solomon tells her, as he seems to study their surroundings. Lily nods and begins to wander down the corridor to see if there are any turns. If they are in a Labyrinth there should be many turns but this corridor seems to just run straight ahead forever. 

  
“Stay close.” Solomon grabs her wrist before she can get too far away from him. Then he releases her as if he’s been shocked. “What’s this?” he asks, taking her hand and pulling off the scrunchie that she’s been wearing on her wrist to hide the tattoo from her deal with Lucifugus. Lily tries to pull her hand back but Solomon’s grip is firm. “Who did you make a deal with, Lily? This is serious.” he tells her, looking more severe than she’s ever seen him. 

Lily blinks before answering. “A classmate..it was an assignment by our professor…”

Solomon releases her hand and she covers the tattoo again. “An assignment? Ridiculous” He scoffs. “What was the nature of your deal?”

Lily blushes and turns away with a shrug. “Everyone in class had to offer me a deal. Lucifugus offered me a potion that would allow me to understand animals like Cerberus.” 

“Lucifugus?” Solomon says with distaste. “And what did he ask for in return?” 

Lily really doesn’t want to say. It’s embarrassing but she supposes he’ll find out anyway once they’re back in class and she has to hold up her end of the deal. After a long sigh, she turns around and tells him. “I agreed to be his pretend ‘girlfriend’”

Solomon looks shocked for a moment. “Lily. Getting involved with demons this way...it’s dangerous.” he warns her. Lily doesn’t realize that Solomon has moved towards her and is now crowding her up against the wall as he continues to question her.

“I’ve been careful…” She says quietly.

“What were your terms?” he demands to know, his eyes narrowed on her. Lily gulps. The witty sorcerer who always seems so aloof and unbothered, suddenly looks as dangerous as the demons. 

“Uh..um..I didn’t agree to do anything scandalous!” she insists. She tries to put more space between them but finds her back up against a rough stone wall. 

“But how did you word it? There could be loopholes Lily.” he tells her sternly, eyes still narrowed on her. Lily starts to feel annoyed by him. He’s reminding her of Lucifer and she doesn’t like it. 

“My terms were very clear.” she insists. “I only agreed to one kiss a day. Not that it’s any of your business.” she tells him, lifting her chin to look at him defiantly, before she tries to get away from him. 

“A kiss?” Solomon says, blocking her escape with his hand on the wall next to her head. “You’d degrade yourself for a potion?” Lily turns beet red. But she’s not embarrassed anymore, she’s angry. 

Solomon gives her an indulgent grin as she glares up at him. “You should give your first kiss to a human. Not a slug like Lucifugus.” He tells her, bending his head even closer to her own.

A few minutes ago she might not have minded finding herself in this position with Solomon, and her heart may have been racing for other reasons. “It won’t be my first kiss.” she tells him, indignantly. “I already gave that to Karasu.” she tells him a little white lie, technically Karasu stole that kiss but he doesn’t need to know. Solomon looks shocked for a moment and Lily uses that to her advantage to shove him away from her. 

  
Lily turns to give him a piece of her mind once she’s put a bit of distance between them. Instead she jumps and Solomon turns his head when they both hear a strange sound. Something like claws scraping against stone. Lily steps a bit closer to him again, since he’s the only one around who can protect her from whatever is making those sounds. 

“Two humans alone together in an unfamiliar area of the Devildom...this isn’t safe.” He says, acting as if the moment between them never happened. “I’d better go ahead and call Asmodeus over.”

“H-How?” Lily wonders aloud, her DDD has no service down here. 

“By summoning him. If you have a pact with a demon, you can call them to your side whenever you want.” Solomon tells her as if he is giving her a lesson. Then, as if he remembers. “Though I’m guessing it would be a difficult task for you, since you have almost no magical power. Here, watch.” he tells her, back to acting like the mysterious aloof sorcerer that she’s used to. _“_ **_Hear me, denizens of the darkness, you who are born of shadow and you who give birth to it. Hear me and do as I command! I, Solomon, call upon you to send forth one of your number! I summon the Avatar of Lust, Asmodeus!_ **”

Lily watches in awe as a magical aura builds up around the sorcerer. Solomon is clearly more powerful than she had ever imagined. There’s a flash of magic, smoke and darkness. When it clears, Asmodeus is standing there looking annoyed as he coughs and dusts off his clothes. 

  
“Ow...that hurt.. Solomon, how many times have I told you to be more gentle when summoning me? What if I had injured my face, hm? What then?” Asmodeus instantly launches into a lecture, complaining about his mistreatment. 

“Stop complaining, Asmo. This is your fault...Anyway, where are we?” Solomon asks with an irritated tone. Usually he’s so calm with that smirk on his face. It’s odd for Lily to see him in an openly bad mood and she wonders if it’s about her deal with Lucifugus. But why would he care? 

“Don’t ask me! From the looks of it, I’m guessing we’re in that underground labyrinth or whatever, that’s supposed to be beneath the Demon Lord’s Castle - the one Satan and Mammon mentioned.” Asmodeus sniffs, feeling offended.

“Hm. That’s what I thought.” Solomon says, looking around again. “What happened to the others?”

“How should I know?” Asmodeus flips his hair, completely irritated with Solomon’s attitude. “But I’ll tell you this much: We’d better find Beel before he gets REALLY hungry. We have to get him out of here, or we’ll have a real problem on our hands. If he gets too hungry, he’ll lose control and go on a rampage. He could end up destroying the entire castle, and then Lucifer would be SUPER mad!”

Lily wonders what Asmodeus thinks is worse: The whole castle coming down on them because of Beelzebub’s tantrum, or Lucifer’s anger as a result of that. Thinking about it herself, she can’t answer that question. Because normally Lily would chalk either of that up to demon exaggeration but she’s witnessed one of Beel’s rampages first hand and she certainly isn’t anxious to see another one anytime soon. Or ever, really. Same goes for Lucifer’s wrath.

Solomon grins wickedly. “Hmm. I have to say, I’d enjoy watching Lucifer tear into you brothers for doing something like that. But yeah, I’ve got no interest in being involved myself.” He shrugs. “I guess we should start by finding Mammon, Leviathan and Beelzebub, since they were sucked in as well.”

  
They begin walking down the long corridor, they pass by many openings but Solomon doesn’t choose to try any of them. Solomon seems to be brooding over something and Asmodeus occasionally complains about something. Lily alternates between observing the two and becoming lost in her own thoughts on their current situation. 

“Solomooooon, how far does this labyrinth go? Are you even sure we’re going the right way?” Asmodues finally wails, fed up with being ignored by Solomon this whole time.

“Quiet, Asmo.” Solomon commands with authority. “You’re the reason we’re in this mess to begin with.” Lily blinks at Solomon, again she’s seeing new sides to the sorcerer. She’s trying to reconcile Solomon from today with the one who made her a sun lamp and sat by her bedside, making her chicken noodle soup.

“Meee?” Asmodeus gasps. “It’s not like I did anything wrong. Lily, you agree with me, don't you?” He asks, turning towards her. 

Lily stares at him for a moment until she realizes he was asking her seriously. “I think you should apologize to Helene.” She tells him softly. 

Asmodeus laughs. “Apologize? Me? I’m sorry, but I’m not quite sure why you’d want me to do that?” He quirks his head to the side, looking at Lily like she’s an enigma.   
  
“An entire country was destroyed.” Solomon says, crossing his arms.   
  


Lily watches Asmodeus roll his eyes, he really has no shame or remorse! “Well how could I have known that would happen, hm? It’s not like I manipulated Helene, after all, I simply gave her an opportunity to have what she wanted, to unleash her inner desire.” He explains as if it’s obvious. Stepping closer to Lily, he lifts her chin so she looks directly into his eyes. “You see, everyone desires something. Everyone has lust in their heart. No matter how noble and saintly they may be, they’re always keeping something locked up in there.” His other hand strokes her lightly right above her heart. Lily bats his hand away, glaring at him. Asmodeus doesn’t even notice and continues. “As hard as they may try to control it, deep inside they wish they could do what they want and have what they want. They’re constantly fighting the urge to stop suppressing it, to set desire free.” He practically purrs in her ear. Once again, Lily finds herself pressed up against one of the Labyrinth walls.   
  
_OMG. What is with these males today? Is it something in the air down here?_ Lily wonders to herself. At least she expects this behavior from Asmodeus, she’s still upset with Solomon for earlier. 

“And it’s the same with you as well, isn’t it, Lily? I wonder...who is it you desire? What sort of secret, shameful thoughts are hidden inside that heart of yours? Why not let me help you reach inside and unleash it?” He whispers, his lips pressed close to her ear.

“Hey! Knock it off.” Solomon tells Asmodeus. 

“Quiet, Solomon. We’re having a moment here.” Asmodeus turns to Solomon, sending him a wink.

Lily rolls her eyes. _Just Asmodeus being in his own little world again,_ she thinks. 

Solomon folds his arms. “Are you sure now’s the time for that?”

“Yes, things are just starting to get good -” 

“Okay, but you should probably know that Mammon, Leviathan, and Beelzebub are being chased by a giant snake right now.” Solomon informs them, pointing further down the corridor from where they came from.

Meanwhile, Lily has ducked away from Asmodeus. They both turn to see the aforementioned demons running towards them. Despite the fact that there’s a giant snake behind them, Lily feels relief and a sense of safety seeing those three again. 

Asmo crosses his arms, staring at his brothers running their way. Lily is wondering why they’re not already running themselves as they get closer and closer. Eventually they all get a better look at the thing chasing after the three demons. 

“Gah...it’s gigantic. And disgusting! Ugh, I hate having to look at unattractive things.” Asmodeus frowns, looking like he’s ate something sour. 

“Hey, how ‘bout you stop talkin’ and HEEEEELP!” Mammon shouts at them. Lily isn’t nearly as fast as demons and she’s a lot shorter than them as well. She takes off the nice shoes she’d foolishly decided to wear for the tour, deciding that she’ll have better luck running with bare feet. She starts to jog backwards, she wants to know what's going on but she doesn’t want to wait and have them all leave her behind to get eaten first. 

“As if we didn’t already have enough problems as it is, they had to go and bring us another one. Well, we’d better get out of here.” Solomon says, seemingly on the same page as Lily.  
  
“Get out of here and go where, exactly?!” Leviathan shouts at them. 

“Just shut up and follow me.” Solomon says, easily overtaking Lily as he scouts ahead, finally taking a turn into the Labyrinth off the long straight narrow corridor they’ve been traveling down so far. 

  
Lily is panting for air by the time they all come to a stop. She’s been spending way too much time inside since coming to the Devildom, she’s getting out of shape. 

“….looks like we managed to lose it somehow.” Asmodeus says, leaning against the wall until he realizes how dirty it is. “Ah! I hate this horrible place.” he complains. 

“Yeah, but what’re we s’posed to do now, huh? You expect us to hide here forever?” Mammon says, Lily isn’t sure who he’s addressing exactly. 

“You’re the one who woke that snake up, Mammon. You don’t get to complain.” Beel growls, Lily can feel his hunger gnawing down their pact, he’s not far off from a tantrum. 

“Hey, I didn’t wake it up! I just saw a snakeskin lyin’ on the ground and figured I’d sell it for a pretty nice sum! But when I tried to grab it to take it with me, it turned out there was still a snake inside! That’s when that monster suddenly came after us, all mad n’ stuff!” Lily blinks at Mammon. As much as she likes him, she understands why he deserves to be called an idiot at times.

“He’s NOT a monster, He’s Henry 1.0.” Levi says sternly after he’s caught his breath. Picking himself up off the floor.

Henry is Leviathan’s pet goldfish Lily reminds herself, but doesn’t he call that goldfish Henry 2.0? She assumed the first Henry was a fish too, but apparently not..

“Are you sure?” Beel asks.  
  
“I know Henry when I see him. And that is Henry, no doubt about it. I can’t believe I’d find him down here of all places…” Leviathan sounds really happy about it, despite the fact his Henry was trying to eat him not long ago. 

“Umm...I want to say you’re on your fourth Henry at this point, right?” Asmodeus teases him. Lily wonders if this is the time or place to joke with Leviathan.

“No, you’re WAY off.” Leviathan reacts indignantly and impatient as Lily expected. “I’m currently keeping Henry 2.0. I kept Henry 1.0 in his glass case and took really good care of him, but one day he disappeared. How many years has it been at this point, I wonder…? But here he is, alive and well - and he’s gotten so BIG!” He beams proudly, having forgotten all about Asmodeus teasing. “Oh, it’s such a relief. I’m so glad he’s all right.” Leviathan laughs. Lily can’t help giggling. She understands what it’s like to love animals, she’d feel the same if Henry was her pet, even if he was a giant snake capable of eating them all. 

“Well I sure ain’t!” Mammon growls.  
  
“If he used to be your pet, do you think there’s some way to pacify him?” Solomon asks, keeping a level head and not looking affected by their run through the labyrinth in the least. 

“Nope, no way.” Levi shakes his head. “He looked like he'd’ forgotten me completely.”

Asmodeus scoffs, “Well yes, I’d say so, considering he just tried to eat you…”  
  
“We should attack it. We should take that thing down, then grill it up and eat it. I’m hungry.” Beel says decisively. Lily blinks up at him, as large as that snake is, she has no doubt Beelzebub could take it down if he wanted to. But she doesn’t like the idea of eating Leviathan's pet.   
  
“No! I already told you!” Levi growls. “I won’t let you hurt Henry 1.0! And he’s NOT FOOD!”   
  
“Okay then, what SHOULD we do? If we don’t do somethin’ about that snake, we’re never gonna get outta here.” Mammon argues.

No one asked Lily for her opinion but she voices it anyway, she doesn’t want to see them hurt Henry 1.0 if they have other options. “I don’t think we should hurt Henry 1.0” she says, patting Levi on the arm comfortingly. 

“Thank you.” Levi gives her a small smile, a slight blush on his checks. “Lily is the only person making sense right now.” he glares at his brothers. 

“Well since you’re the animal lover Lily why don’t you go try to convince Henry 1.0 not to eat us all?” Asmodeus mocks her. “After all, that beast of a mutt didn’t eat you.”

“Shaddap you!” Mammon threatens to hit Asmodeus upside the head. “This is all your fault and I’m not gonna let Lily get eaten ‘cause of you!”  
  
“Ugh, stay away from me you brute!” Asmodeus acts as if he’s being assaulted by Mammon just standing in front of him already.   
  


Solomon seems to be in thought, ignoring their antics before he says, “We don’t necessarily need to hurt Henry to get out of here. There’s another strategy we could try.” Levi seems to visibly relax when Solomon takes his side of things too.

“Oh Solomon, I knew you’d come up with something! Not only are you good looking, you're smart too.” Asmodeus says swooning, throwing his arms around Solomon’s shoulders.  
  
Solomon rolls his eyes before shrugging Asmodeus off him. “Thanks, all right. I’ll be counting on you to make this work, Asmodeus.”   
  
“Huh? ...Me?” Asmodeus seems taken aback. He would prefer to watch his human sorcerer from a distance, instead of being used as the tool.

“Ah, I see what he’s thinkin!” Mammon laughs. “While that snake is chewin’ on Asmo, the rest of us can make our escape!”   
  
“Uh, no. That should be YOUR job, Mammon. As the stupidest one among us, it’s only right.” Asmodeus glares at Mammon.   
  
“Oh no, nuh-uh! No feeding Mammon to Henry 1.0! He’ll get a tummy ache!” Levi argues. 

“HEY! You guys are bein’ REAL RUDE, ya know that?!”

Lily shakes her head. These brothers never seem to stop, no matter what dire situation they seem to be in. _I suppose this isn’t much to them, as demons._ Lily thinks to herself. Her own perspective as a mere mortal is a bit different.

“Are you thinking about using Asmo to mesmerize the snake?” Beel asks Solomon. 

“Exactly.” Solomon gives Beelzebub an appreciative look. “We should make use of Asmodeus’s natural charm. If he can manage to tame Henry and win him over, then maybe he’d be willing to show us the way out of the labyrinth.”

Lily finds herself fascinated by this idea. She knew Asmodeus was supposed to be able to charm people, not her for whatever reason, but she never imagined him using those skills on a giant snake. Even in the human world there are things such as snake charmers, so she supposes she shouldn’t be surprised. 

“Ah, okay...yes.” Asmodeus visibly calms when he realizes what Solomon is asking of him. “Well, I suppose I could do that. You know, it really should be illegal to be so stunningly beautiful that you can even charm a snake. I’m so attractive that sometimes I scare even myself.” Asmodeus laughs.   
“..yikes.” Beel says. _Took the words right out of my mouth, Beel._ Lily thinks to herself.   
  
“Ah, so you find it scary too, Beel? I mean, I’m not surprised.” Asmodeus giggles, making the most favorable conclusion.   
  
Beel looks at his brother and shakes his head. “No, I said that because I think he just spotted us...Henry, I mean.” He points down the corridor. 

“My dear Henry 1.0!” Levi swoons when they all spot the giant snake coming their way.   
  
“It’s comin’ this way! It’s TOTALLY comin’ this way!” Mammon shouts terrified.   
  
“Right!” Lily watches as Solomon rolls up his sleeves. “I’ll begin by using my magic to amplify Asmodeus’s powers.” He begins to explain his plan to them. “Then Asmo, you mesmerize Henry. The amplification process is going to take a bit of time. So Mammon, you distract Henry in the meantime.”   
  


“Distract him? How am I s’posed to do - HEEEEY! What’s the big idea pushin’ me right out into its path?! I mean, come on!” Mammon shouts indignantly as Solomon pushes him out into the open where Henry 1.0 will get a good look at him 

Solomon pulls Lily behind him before addressing Asmodeus. “I take it you’re ready?”

Asmodeus looks at him happily. “Yep, go right ahead.”

“WHATEVER! JUST DO IT ALREADY!” Mammon practically screams as Henry 1.0 charges him. 

Lily steps back as she watches Solomon call on his power once more. “ **_Denizens of the darkness, awaken! You who are born of shadow, hear me! I am the one called Solomon. I call upon you now to lend your power to Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust!_ **”

Asmodeus' face flushes and he shivers as he feels Solomon’s power pulsing through him, enhancing his own. “Ooh yes, I LIKE this! I’m SO turned on right now!” he practically moans. 

Lily blushes, only Asmodeus could make a situation like this seem lewd and erotic. 

“AAAAAH! HERE IT COMES HERE IT COMES HERE IT COMES…!” Mammon shouts, diving out of the way just in time to leave Henry 1.0 eye to eye with Asmodeus. 

“That’s right, Henry. Look me in the eyes...Yes, that’s a good boy.” Asmodeus croons to the snake.   
  
Beel looks shocked. “He stopped in his tracks.”   
  
“My Henry 1.0…” Levi says proudly, he practically has tears in his eyes. “He’s grown so big and his scales are so glossy.” He wants to walk up to his old pet, but Lily stops him. It’s probably best if Asmodeus finishes with his charm first.   
  
“What’s that now?...Well, how about that. He says he’ll show us the way out of the Labyrinth!” Asmodeus tells them smugly, he already has the snake wrapped around his pinky finger, figuratively that is.   
  
“Nice job, Asmo!” Solomon praises him with a cheeky smirk.   
  
“Well, really, did you expect anything less of me?” Asmodeus says flipping his hair.   
  
Lily laughs in relief. It looks like she’s going to survive to face her next harrowing Devildom experience after all. _At least we didn’t run into any Minotaurs._ Lily thinks to herself. Right after she thinks this they all stop, hearing a mournful howling coming from somewhere inside the Labyrinth. 

“Let’s go.” Solomon says, taking the lead once more. “I don’t think Henry 1.0 is the worst thing we could run into down here.”

  
Eventually they all make it out of the Labyrinth unscathed and back to the Castle proper where they find Lord Diavolo, Lucifer and Barbatos. 

“I told you they’d make it back in time for Dinner.” Lucifer says dryly. 

Solomon explains how he diverted the original spell to spare them from being sucked into the painting and how they ended up in the underground Labyrinth instead. Lily listens as each of the brothers’ give their own account of what happened. She raises her brows at the amount of embellishment that is going on. She supposes it’s akin to lying, so demons must be natural at embellishments when it comes to storytelling. 

“I see. So that’s how you managed to make it safely out of the underground labyrinth…” Lord Diavolo chuckles clearly amused by their stories.   
  
“Too bad.” Lucifer frowns. “If you’d stayed lost in there for another 5000 years or so, it would’ve been a bit quieter and more peaceful here in the Devildom.” He sniffs, looking down his nose at them. _Rude._ Lily thinks, giving him a glare. He may have had some peace, but she’d be long dead, a mere skeleton. No, just dust!

“And where are your shoes?” Suddenly Lucifer has narrowed his eyes on Lily, who stands there in the group with filthy bare feet.

“Oh.” Lily looks down at her bare feet. “I lost them in the Labyrinth.” she shrugs, causing Lucifer to sigh. 

“Well, in any event, it really is awful that you got caught up in this mess, Solomon and Lily.” Simeon says, laying a comfortable hand on their shoulders. Lily instantly feels better. Feels like Simeon is secretly using his Celestial magic on them again.  
  
“Yeah, AWFUL!” Luke agrees as he takes Lily’s hand as if assuring himself that she’s fine. ”Ugh, when you associate with demons, bad things always happen, don't they? Truly bad things!” He says to her. Lily can tell he was very worried for her.   
  
“Actually, I ended up enjoying myself in a way.” Solomon smirks. “Sure, it was a complete accident, but I did get to go inside the rumored underground labyrinth, after all. Still though, I can’t help but wonder why there’s a labyrinth underneath the castle to begin with, or what Henry was doing down there?” He muses, looking to Lord Diavolo for answers.

Lord Diavolo begins to respond but gets cut off by Beel who is noisily snatching and eating food off of the serving trays as the servants attempt to bring their dinner to the dining room. Barbatos suggests they adjourn to the dining room before Beelzebub eats all the food before it has a chance to arrive. 

  
“Go clean up and find some shoes.” Lucifer tells Lily sternly. Lily makes her way to her room quickly. She’s pretty hungry after that ordeal and she’s worried there won’t be anything left by the time she gets back. Luckily by the time she makes it back to the informal Castle dining room, Mammon has saved her a plate. 

There’s a lively conversation going round the table as usual. 

“You know, now that I think about it, the whole reason we were able to escape was because of me and how stunningly beautiful I am.” Asmodeus laughs, taking a dainty bite of food from his fork, looking overly pleased with himself. Lily notices that he looks impeccable again, he must have used some sort of spell on himself.  
  
“Yeah, but you were also the reason all of you ended up in the labyrinth to begin with, Asmo.” Satan reminds his brother.   
  
“Right, that’s what I’m sayin’ That was terrible, and it was all YOUR fault, Asmo!” Mammon says, throwing up his hands. Glad that someone else is trying to talk some sense into Asmo.   
  
“You really should be careful in the castle. There are a number of items here with suspicious history to them. I can’t guarantee that there aren’t others in the castle who also want to get even with you, Asmodeus.” Diavolo laughs. Lily can’t help but think that the Prince would only be thoroughly amused if that did happen.   
  
Asmodeus lets out a long suffering sigh. “It’s just wrong to be this beautiful…”   
  
“Ugh, forget it. He’s hopeless. He doesn’t even think he did anythin’ wrong!” Mammon shakes his head.

Lily smiles, shaking her head lightly as she listens to them banter. They may all be crazy idiots, but they’re a family and it shows. Solomon, who sits to one side of her, leans in to whisper in her ear. “We’re not done discussing that deal you made.”

Lily hears Solomon but chooses not to respond or react. She’s still a bit miffed by his behavior. She’s also confused. Solomon is a mystery to her, she’s not sure which side of him is the true Solomon. All of them? None of them? With everything else on her plate right now, does she even really care to know? Lost in her own thoughts she doesn’t even notice when he leaves the table.


	40. The First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What goes down the first night of the retreat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Cluelesse who helped edit a portion of this chapter.

  
After dinner, Lucifer made sure all his troublesome brother’s made it to their rooms for the night, before making his way to his own. He wants nothing more than to have a peaceful night and restful sleep; but with Diavolo waiting in his room, he doubts any peace will find him this evening.

Diavolo’s eyes light up when Lucifer enters the room. He’s been reading a most interesting magazine that has been brought back from the human world with various other items. Lucifer walks straight to the bar cabinet in the room and pours a glass of Demonus for himself and Lord Diavolo. He’s going to need it to get through the night. 

“Lucifer.” 

“Yes Diavolo?” Lucifer sits opposite the Prince and hands him a glass.

“If you’re out at the club and you spot an attractive individual eyeing you, which of these would you do?”

“Excuse me?”

“Would you...A: Make eye contact and smile sweetly? B: Walk over and strike up a conversation? Or C: Wink and motion for them to come over?”

Lucifer rubs his temples, wondering what Diavolo is on about now. “How about D: Incinerate them for even looking at me?” he says dryly.    
  
“So...B then?” Diavolo asks, ignoring Lucifer’s bad mood.

After scribbling in the magazine, Diavolo looks up at him again. “Which of these describes your dream date?” he asks next. “A: A candlelit dinner and a stroll under the stars. B. Dream dates are overrated, watching the game works just fine…” Diavolo furrows his brows, trying to figure that one out. “Hm? Or C: Forget the date. What happens in the bedroom is what makes a night unforgettable.”

Lucifer scoffs and rips the magazine right out of Diavolo’s hands. “What trash are you reading?” he scolds as he looks over the magazine. “‘ _ What kind of sexy are you?’ _ ” he reads aloud in an annoyed tone. “You realize this Magazine is meant for foolish human women, right?”

Diavolo laughs, “Either way I find it most entertaining.” he snatches the magazine back.

“Of course you do…”

“Did you know that you can have sex over a text message?” Diavolo flips to another section of the magazine. “They call it sexting. Most fascinating.”

“Why don’t you talk to Asmodeus about it sometime.” Lucifer suggests, not wanting this conversation to continue. 

“I don’t quite fully understand how it works though.” Diavolo comments, reading over the article again.    
  
After a couple hours of dealing with Diavolo’s foolishness and no sleep in sight. Lucifer makes an excuse to leave the room to go patrolling to make sure no one is out of bed causing trouble. 

“That’s what the Castle guards and protective spells are for, Lucifer.” Diavolo reminds him. 

“They’re my brothers and my responsibility.” Lucifer insists, fleeing the room.

**  
That night in Luke, Leviathan and Beelzebub’s room**

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into watching something called ‘ _ I Fell in Love with an Angel, and I know it Was Fate, so I tried to Get into Heaven, but Messed up and was reborn as the Demon Lord’s Manservant...So Please, Just Hear me Out!’  _ and that it would be so good!” Luke laments, feeling ashamed of himself. He’s completely hooked!

Levi chuckles and launches into an explanation about how he owns the whole series, including the follow up series that has an ever longer, more ridiculous title than the first. Luke stares up at him with wide eyes.

“I’m not going to get any sleep! Tonight or tomorrow -

*groowwlll*

Luke jumps at the sound of Beel’s rumbling stomach, even after sharing a room the first couple of times he can’t get used to it. 

“I’m hungry…” Beel uses his classic line before wandering out of their room in a daze.

“Where’s he going?!” Luke asks, looking a tad concerned.

“He’s half asleep and doesn’t realize he’s not in the House of Lamentation right now.” Levi explains in a dismissive tone. “Leave him be. Eventually he’ll wake up and come back on his own. Anyway, let’s watch the next episode.”   
  
“Definitely! Must watch immediately!” Luke agrees passionately, turning back to the television.

**  
A bit earlier that evening in the Castle...**   
  
Solomon, Satan and Mammon are wandering the dark hallways. Quite a suspicious looking trio if anyone were to catch sight of them together. “Hey, you’re sure you're going the right way, aren’t you?” Satan asks Mammon, who walks a few steps ahead.    
  
“I feel like we’ve been walking in circles for a while now..” Solomon says, he says that’s how he feels but he’s actually quite certain of it.

“Oh yeah, this is the right way all right. I’m sure of it!” Mammon says confidently. “There’s treasure ahead, I can smell it! And when it comes to treasure, there ain’t no foolin’ this nose of mine!” He laughs, tapping his own nose.   
  
“I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve said that now.” Satan mutters darkly to himself. His patience is running thin.    
  
“It’s almost been an hour since we left our room. I know the Demon Lord’s Castle is big, but this is ridiculous.” Solomon complains. Their statements bring Mammon up short as he rounds on his companions.   
  
“You guys just aren’t dedicated enough!” He accuses them. “You gotta really WANT that treasure! I mean, we’re talkin’ about TREASURE here! Tons of it!” He scoffs. “You both said you wanted this treasure too, didn’t ya?!”   
  
Satan and Solomon exchange a look. “Actually, I just want to see Lucifer freak out when he realizes that the castle’s treasure is missing.” Satan admits, smiling wickedly.   
  
“And I’m incredibly interested in these hidden treasures from an academic standpoint because of what I can learn from them. I’d like to take a look at them.” Solomon adds.

Mammon rolls his eyes,  _ what a waste.  _ He thinks to himself. Still, he doesn’t want to do this alone. “Well, either way, we’ve got shared interests here. Which means we need to keep on lookin’!” He tells them how it is. “Rumor is that there’s a crazy amount of treasure hidden inside the Demon Lord’s Castle. If we can manage to grab even a little of that and sell it later, we’d make some SERIOUS money...mmmheh heh heh heh…” He begins to get giddy just thinking about the profits.

Satan gets a sly look on his face, when he says. “You know, speaking of rumors. I heard one about this place myself. Apparently, a powerful curse has been put on the room that houses the castle’s treasure.”

Solomon catches on quickly. “A curse, huh? Well, I could definitely believe that.” he muses, rubbing his chin.    
  
“Hmph, sounds ridiculous to me, but go ahead. What kinda curse are we talkin’ about?” Mammon asks, not able to hide the hint of nervousness that creeps into his voice as he turns around and keeps leading them further down the hall.    
  
“Well, they say that if someone with a heart full of greed comes looking for the treasure room, then a ferocious demonic beast will appear before them and drive them away.” Satan states convincingly.    
  
“Pff. Just like I figured.” Mammon mocks. “Totally ridiculous. I mean, that’s probably just a story someone made up to keep people from goin’ after the treasure, right?” He asks, stopping and facing his companions again.    
  
“Hmm...Someone with a heart full of greed, huh…” Solomon says as if in thought as he stares at Mammon.    
  
“Mmhm,” Satan nods. “Someone with a heart full of greed…” He stares at his brother.   
  
“Wh-what?! Hey...don’t look at ME! If ya keep starin’ at me like that. I’m gonna have to charge you for it, and it won’t be cheap!” Mammon shouts, annoyed with their talk about curses. 

Solomon shrugs. “I mean, the only one out of the three of us who really has a heart full of greed is you, Mammon.”

“That’s right.” Satan agrees. “Which means that if we’re with you, it makes it more likely that we’ll run into that demonic beast from the curse.”   
  
Solomon and Satan both take a few healthy steps backwards, away from Mammon as if the curse lingers around him even now.   
  
“WHA?! Hey now, quit backin’ away from me! This is all part of some plan of yours ain’t it?! You wanna find the treasure yourselves and split it two ways instead of three!” He accuses them.   
  
“Please. We’re not like you, Mammon.” Satan scoffs, still backing away.   
  
“And it’s not as if my interest in the treasure is driven by greed.” Solomon adds.    
  
“Why don’t you leave the treasure hunting to us? You can go to Lily’s room and have yourself a pillow fight.” Satan suggests, causing Solomon to suppress a smirk from forming on his face.   
  
Mammon spontaneously smiles. “A pillow fight in Lily’s room?... Man, that sounds like crazy fun..” He admits, already daydreaming about it. “I mean, that sounds stupid!” He shouts, realizing he said that last thought out loud. “Anyway, you gotta let me come with you! We’ve come this far together, right?! You can’t dump me now! That’s just mean! Like, all this about a curse and a demonic beast is nothin’ but a rumor, right?! You don’t even know if it exists and you’re tellin’ me you’re scared of it? Pff.” Mammon pleads with them and mocks them at the same time.    
  
  
Suddenly the few sconces lit along the hallways and the lantern that Solomon has been carrying goes out.    
  
Mammon let’s out a high pitched scream as he blindly jumps closer to Satan, grappling for him in the dark.    
  
“Ugh, shut up. Don’t scream in my ear, Mammon!” Satan says with no shortage of annoyance, pushing Mammon away.   
  


“I-I c-c-c-c-can’t help it. Can I?! I mean, all of a sudden it’s pitch black in here! Who WOULDN’T be freaked out by that, huh?!” Mammon tries to defend himself.   
  


Satan mutters angrily under his breath, while Solomon says. “Our lamp must’ve died on us. We’ll have to go find something else we can use to light our way.”

*GRRR* 

“D’AAAAA!” Mammon yells out again when he hears something scary.   
  
“What is it this time, Mammon?” Satan disparages.    
  
“I-I h-h-h-heard somethin’! It c-c-came from over there! Some weird kinda noise!”

*GRRRRROWLLL*

“What was that?” Solomon asks curiously, having just heard the noise too. “It was like a low rumbling coming up from the bowels of purgatory…”  
  
Satan feels surprised, he made it all up after all. “No, it couldn’t be -”

*GROOOOOAR*

“The beast….IT’S HERE!” Mammon shrieks. 

“Wh…?! The demonic beast is HERE?!” Satan can’t believe it.    
  
“I don’t know, but either way, we’d better run!” Solomon suggests.   
  
“HELP MEEEEE!!!” Mammon yelps as he begins to run back to his room. Being the fastest, he is the first to make it back to the room. Eventually Satan joins him, looking very annoyed. 

“Where’s Solomon?”

“You don’t think the beast got him, do ya?” Mammon asks nervously,  _ but better the shady sorcerer than me heh _ , he thinks. 

“I’m sure he’ll turn up.” Satan replies with narrowed, thoughtful eyes.

**  
  
Back in the hallways…**

Beelzebub pauses in the dark hallway. What is he doing here again? Oh yeah, he was looking for food. But that scream... “Mammon, are you there?” He asks aloud. “That’s weird...I could swear I heard what sounded like Mammon screaming.” He tells himself.  _ A really desperate sort of scream _ ...He thinks to himself. 

Solomon’s shoulders shake with silent amusement as he let’s the lights come back on. Just in time too as Lucifer enters this portion of the Castle and Solomon casts a concealment spell over his location. Hidden behind a pillar, he’s able to observe the scene without being noticed.

“Oh hey, the lights came back on.” Beel comments to himself.   
  
“Beel? What’s going on? What’re you doing there?” Lucifer asks, seeing his brother loitering in the hallways.    
  
“Me…?” Beel turns to Lucifer in surprise. “Oh, I was hungry, so I was walking around looking for some food.” Beels stomach growls loudly in agreement.

“I see. Yes, your stomach’s certainly growling. Very loudly, in fact. I could almost mistake it for the roar of a demonic beast if I didn’t know better.” Lucifer comments dryly. Lucifer scans the area, something seems off and he could have sworn he’d heard more than Beels stomach as he was coming this way.  
  
“I don’t really know what’s going on, but I thought I heard Mammon screaming. Like he was being pounded, stretched and rolled into dough for a pizza - at least, that’s how it sounded to me.” Beel says, drooling now that he’s mentioned pizza.

“Come on. Let’s find you a snack before you make more of a headache for me.” Lucifer sighs and leads his brother to the kitchen where he can get him something to eat and keep him from eating everything in Barbatos’ pantry at the same time. 

_ Sorry Satan. _ Solomon thinks to himself once he’s alone again. The Avatar of Wrath gave him the perfect opportunity to ditch both the demons. It was clear he wasn’t going to get anywhere tonight with those two tagging along. Admittedly Satan is a better companion than Mammon, but the wrathful demon is so bent on causing Lucifer mischief that he was just as likely to get them all in trouble. 

Solomon casts a glamour over himself, causing him to look like the Avatar of Greed. With a self-assured smile, Solomon makes his way directly to the treasure vault. 

**Later..**

After Lucifer had seen Beelzebub back to his room, he begins Leviathan about letting his younger brother roam around the Castle at night until he was summoned via text message by Barbatos. 

“Now what?” he grumbles. Narrowing his eyes on Leviathan, he tells him. “You’re lucky I have to leave. Now don’t let Beel leave this room again tonight.” He orders before he makes his way towards the Castle’s treasure room where Barbatos and Lord Diavolo are waiting for him. 

Luke looks at Levi with wide eyes. “I thought he was going to be here all night!” the little angel shudders. 

“Yeah! We got lucky.” Levi agrees and resumes the episode they had to pause when Lucifer barged in with Beelzebub.

  
“Sorry for disturbing you both. We’ve had an attempted break in.” Barbatos informs Lucifer when he arrives. Lucifer suppresses a groan of misery, there’s only one idiot in this Castle that would attempt to break into the Demon Lord’s treasure vault. Sure enough, watching through the spy crystal set outside the vault they see Mammon approach and tamper with the door. 

“The wards were definitely tampered with but they’re all perfectly in place now. The spy crystals on the inside of the vault were not activated and nothing appeared to be distrubed.” Barbatos explains. 

Diavolo shakes his head and laughs as if it’s amusing to him. “Ah Mammon never changes, does he?”

“Don’t underestimate Mammon’s sleight of hand.” Lucifer warns them. “He may be an idiot but he’s capable of almost anything when thievery is involved. I suggest you have the Little D’s do a full inventory count in the morning. I’ll go take care of my brother.”

“I’ll see you back in the room!” Lord Diavolo calls after him jovially.    
  


**In Simeon, Lily and Asmodeus’ room that night.**

Lily and Simeon had been chatting quietly about her father while Asmodeus had been hogging the bathroom for well over an hour. Unfortunately Simeon had no news to share with her and they had moved onto simple small talk when Asmodeus finally emerged.    
  
“Well, time for me to get some sleep. Nighty-night, you two!” Asmodeus sings to them as he begins turning off all the lights in the room, without asking.    
  
“You’re going to bed already?” Simeon asks, surprised. “It’s awfully early for that. I remember you used to stay up quite late..”

“Lack of sleep leads to unhealthy skin, and I don’t want that!” Asmodeus condescends as if it’s obvious. “I’m sure both of you want to see me looking my best, right?”   
  
“Well, I suppose that means that I’ll get to enjoy some peace and quiet tonight, which is much appreciated.” Simeon chuckles. However, he’s spoken too soon because just then Mammon barges into their room. Flipping back on lights that Asmodeus had just turned out.    
  


“HEEEEY! Look who’s here...it’s Mammon! And you know what that means?! You ain’t gonna be gettin’ ANY sleep tonight! AHAHAHAHA!” Mammon laughs like a deranged person and Lily looks at him strangely. She senses something odd through their pact, he’s acting like himself but it all feels a bit put on right now. “All right all right all right! Time for a pillow fight deathmatch with the Avatar of Greed himself! LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLE!”    
  
Simeon frowns, he wouldn’t be surprised if Mammon has woken the entire castle by now “...Asmo, he’s your brother, isn’t he? Do you think you could possibly do something about him?”   
  
There’s no response and Simeon looks to see that Asmodeus has already crawled under his covers and put his sleep mask over his eyes. Pretending to be asleep. 

“OH NO, UH-UH! You’re not gonna fool ME, pretendin’ to be asleep! Right, so it’s gonna be me and Lily versus Simeon and Asmo! So c’mon, get up already, Asmo!” Mammon shouts, pulling Asmodeus out of bed and letting him fall onto the floor. Lily blinks, wondering if she should leave the room while there’s an opening and try to get some rest somewhere else. “All right all right all right! Let’s get started before that ass Lucifer comes ‘round on patrol and starts botherin’ us!” Mammon laughs, ignoring Asmodeus who is fuming mad right now.

Lily sees her opportunity to flee vanish when Lucifer steps into the doorway. “I’m sorry. Who did you just call an ass?” He asks, narrowing his deadly vision on Mammon.   
  
Mammon jumps and whirls around. “Gah!” He tries to hide behind Lily but Lucifer is quick to block him.    
  
“You know, I don’t want to spend my evening patrolling the halls, nor did I want to bother you. But I received word that a certain dimwit tried to sneak inside the castle vault. So as much as I’d like to rest now, I can’t. Isn’t that right, Mammon?” Lucifer explains with an eerie calmness to his voice that gives Lily goosebumps and has the hair on the back of her neck stand on end..    
  
“Ah...y’know what? I suddenly feel sooo tired...Maybe I’ll just...go back to my room and, uh...sleep.” Mamman laughs nervously, rubbing his neck and faking a yawn. He inches towards the door.    
  
“MAAAAAMMOOOOON?”   
  
“Yikes!” Mammon tries to make a dash for it but no matter how fast he is, it’s impossible if he has to pass by Lucifer.   
  
“You’re coming to my room. Now.” Lucifer says, a firm grasp on his brother’s neck. “And tonight it’s not going to be just me in there, but Diavolo as well. I have a feeling we’re going to have all sorts of fun, don’t you?” He smiles cruelly.    
  
Lily looks at Simeon and Asmodeus.  _ Shouldn’t we do something? _ She thinks to herself. However, Simeon looks thoroughly amused and Asmodeus doesn’t look like he’ll be coming to Mammon’s rescue anytime soon…   
  
“D’aaaah! N-Now just calm down, Lucifer! At least spare my life...please, I’m BEGGIN’ you!” Mammon pleads as he uselessly flails in Lucifer’s grasp.   
  
“Well, it seems as though we’ll get a peaceful night’s sleep after all, doesn't it?” Simeon laughs, shutting their bedroom door and locking it against further intrusions. 

Asmodeus is already back in bed and Lily decides to try to sleep as well, there’s nothing she can do for Mammon on her own. She just hopes he’ll still be in one piece in the morning.

**Back in Lucifer and Diavolo’s bedroom..**

Lord Diavolo is already prepared for bed, wearing nothing but his sleep pants when Lucifer arrives. Opening the door, he roughly shoves Mammon into the room. Diavolo catches Mammon by the shoulders, keeping him from crashing into the nearby table. Where, incidentally, he had Barbatos set out glasses of blood wine and hellfire mushroom rolled cigar cookies.

Mammon feels a fleeting spark of relief, until he looks up and sees the entertained look sparkling in Diavolo’s eyes. There’s a brief scuffle where Diavolo once again has to protect their late night refreshments from being spilled. Mammon is strung up in record time, Lucifer has opted to hang him right side up. Mammon's feet hang within easy reach from where Lucifer sits in front of the fireplace with Lord Diavolo and he takes a moment to relax and sip some wine. 

Diavolo partakes as well, enjoying himself a little too much when Lucifer begins pulling off Mammon’s boots. That’s when Mammon decides to get loud again. “NOT THE BOOTS!” Mammon pleads, struggling against his bonds. “I SWEAR I didn’t do anythin’ Lucifer! Ya gotta believe me!” 

Lord Diavolo chuckles when Lucifer makes a motion as if he’s going to throw Mammon’s boot into the fireplace. “NOOOO! I swear! I mean...I was plannin’ on takin’ a few things from the vault to sell, but then the curse sent that demonic beast after me!”

“What curse?” Diavolo asks, laughing as Lucifer tosses the boot towards the fire. 

“MY BOOT!” Mammon cries. The boot lands just outside the hearth, safe. Mammon sags in relief. “OI! Do ya know how much those boots cost me, ya sadistic bastard?!” he yells, squirming again.

This time the second boot comes off, along with his socks and this time they all make it inside the fire in the hearth. “Nooooo! My precious boots.” Mammon sobs. 

“That was a bit harsh.” Diavolo comments, but still looks thoroughly entertained.   
  
Lucifer rolls his eyes. “Please, he has at least two more pairs of the same ones.”

“Why ya gotta be so mean to me?! Huh?! I didn’t steal anythin’ I already told ya!”

  
“You said something about a curse?” Diavolo reminds Mammon.

“Ya! The demonic beast that goes after demons with a heart full of greed.” Mammon yells. “Dontcha remember what curses ya got goin’ on in your own Castle?!” 

“Hmm.” Diavolo rubs his chin. “This is an ancient Castle, I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few.” He laughs. “But this curse doesn’t ring any bells. What did this beast look like?” 

“I didn’t stick around to see it!” Mammon is still being overly loud and squirming in his bonds. “I only heard the thing, I was too busy runnin’ for my life!”

  
Diavolo isn’t listening to Mammon anymore. He is distracted by Lucifer, who stands and walks over to his weekend bag sitting on top of the bed. First, Lucifer loosens his tie before taking off his coat and vest, laying them neatly across the bed. Last, he takes his time undoing his cuffs and rolls up his sleeves. 

“You’re going to learn your lesson this time, even if it takes all night” Lucifer tells Mammon ominously as he pulls something out of his bag. 

Mammon’s eyes go wide when he sees what Lucifer holds. “No! I’m beggin’ ya! Anythin’ but that!” he pleads, struggling uselessly once more. Lucifer just smiles sadistically as he takes his seat again. Diavolo smiles in anticipation for Mammon’s punishment.

“Who else did you drag into your schemes tonight? Lily?” Lucifer asks. 

“Pfft. Ya right. Why would I involve a dumb human?!” Mammon scoffs, looking at Lucifer as if he’s an idiot. 

Lucifer snaps the long thin plastic stem of the feather tickler he holds in his hand, across Mammon’s feet. Causing him to yelp in surprise. 

“I swear! Go ask Simeon, he’ll tell ya!” 

Satisfied, Lucifer moves on. “What about one of your idiotic brothers?” Lucifer asks, as if they aren’t also HIS brothers. 

There’s a pause, when Mammon refuses to answer him, and Lucifer begins mercilessly tickling the bottom of Mammon’s right foot with the tip of the feather. “Ah! AH ahahahaha! No! Please! AH haha! STOP!” Mammon begs but Lucifer doesn’t stop.

“Who else was with you?” Lucifer asks again.

“N-no no one!” Mammon growls out, squirming and in tears. “Ahaha! *sob* hhahaha!” he alternates between laughter and sobs until Lucifer stops this torture. 

“If I search your room, will I find something that doesn’t belong to you?” Lucifer asks before attacking Mammon’s left foot in the same fashion. Diavolo watches on, sipping wine and eating cookies, looking very entertained. 

“I-I don’t know!” Mammon is finally able to get out between fits. 

“You don’t know?” Lucifer asks, annoyed. Pausing to let Mammon get his breath again.

“I-I mean! Nothin’ from the Vault but I...I can’t guarantee that you wouldn’t find anythin’ else, ya know?” He shrugs in his bonds, he sometimes doesn’t even know himself. 

“Pathetic.” Lucifer says before torturing Mammon some more. 

  
After some time, Lucifer has finally given up on questioning his idiot brother. But he keeps him strung up, occasional attacking his feet with the tickler, especially if he says something obnoxious. Which is often, in Lucifer’s opinion.

Diavolo is reading that human world magazine again when he addresses Mammon for the first time since they talked about the supposed curse. “Mammon?”

“What?” Mammon asks with no shortage of attitude. Instantly prompting Lucifer to attack his feet again. “AHH! HAHA! I mean... Ahaha! Diavolo Sir. L-Lord Diavolo. Ahaha.”

“If you’re out at the club and you spot an attractive individual eyeing you, which of these would you do?” Diavolo asks when Lucifer stops and Mammon calms a bit. “Would you...A: Make eye contact and smile sweetly? B: Walk over and strike up a conversation? Or C: Wink and motion for them to come over?”

Lucifer lets out a long suffering sigh. “W-well..uh...that depends I guess.” Mammon tries to answer, baffled. “Like how attractive are we talkin’ here? Like a smokin’ hot demoness or someone sweet and pure like Li-”

Lucifer growls in irritation and attacks Mammon's feet with more vigor than before. “C! C!” Mammon screams out while simultaneously laughing and crying. 

Diavolo happily circles Mammon’s answer in the magazine. “What a truly delightful retreat this is turning out to be!” he laughs merrily. “Next question. Let’s see…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya everyone! I hope you enjoyed this cheeky chapter. The scavenger hunt and Dance will each be their own chapters. Once I get through the retreat portion of the story I think I'll be taking a break for a week or two. I want to take my time with the chapters that will be between the retreat and the London trip. I'll be introducing new characters and more sub plot and want to be sure its right. Please let me know what you think of the story so far and the changes/additions I've made. I love hearing what you all think, especially your own ideas and head cannons about the demons. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	41. Scavenger Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a scavenger hunt, Asmo is a brat and gives Lily a challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Cluelesse for your continued support in helping me with these chapters =D

The next morning Simeon and Lily have to rush to get ready for the day because Asmodeus takes so long in the bathroom. They end up being the last to arrive in the hall. Lily is relieved to see Mammon leaning up against Beel, looking half asleep. But he’s alive and that’s all that counts. 

“All right, it’s time to explain what we have planned for day two of our retreat.” Lucifer states when they’re all gathered together. Lucifer always looks impeccable but Lily can see the tiredness around his eyes. She wonders if he kept Mammon up all night with an eight hour lecture? But why would he do that to himself? Do these demons like to punish themselves as well?

“Quit leaning up against me, Mammon. You’re heavy, you know.” Beel complains, shrugging his brother off. Normally Beelzebub wouldn’t mind but they haven’t had breakfast yet and Lily can feel that he’s grumpy already.    
  
“Shut up and at least let me rest my head against your shoulder, Beel.” Mammon complains and then yawns loudly. “Lucifer kept me up until morning...I didn't sleep a wink last night.” He finishes before yawning again.    
  
“Yes, Lucifer just kept going and going last night, didn’t he?” Diavolo lets out a booming laugh that makes Lily jump a little. “I’m sure you had a hard time, Mammon. Though I have to say, it was fun to watch. Hahaha.”    
  
Lily blinks at them with wide eyes, wondering what her poor Mammon had to endure last night. Mammon mutters under his breath, apparently too tired or too scared to react to Lord Diavolo.

Leviathan begins typing away on his DDD with a big grin on his face, commentating as he goes. “Big news: Last night Lord Diavolo, Lucifer and Mammon totally [CENSORED]!”   
  
Lily scrunches her nose and rubs her ears when Levi’s last word is bleeped out, like they do sometimes on the radio or television with explicit content. She looks around in confusion. Lucifer is smiling smugly.   
  
“HEY! Don’t post stuff like that! I don’t want my personal information leakin’ online!” Mammon finally speaks up.    
  
“Wait, that’s the part you have a problem with, Mammon?” Satan asks, his eyebrows raised.

“HUH?!” Levi looks surprised, looking at his Devilgram post, part of it has been censored out.    
  
“Hehe. I bet they were on the [CENSORED], and Lucifer [CENSORED] and [ CENSORED]! Right...am I right?” Asmodeus giggles and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.    
  
Lily flinches again at the annoying pitched beeps that keep sounding off as Asmo speaks. 

“Lucifer!” Asmodeus complains. “You didn’t?! Not AGAIN?!”

“Yes. That’s right.” Lucifer nods, a smug expression on his face. “The censorship hex has been implemented for the remainder of the day. Keep it up and I’ll extend it.” he threatens them all.    
  
“Ugh! This is so annoying! All I said is that you were probably [CENSORED] all night with [CENSORED] and [CENSORED]!!!” By now, Lily has her hands over her ears as Asmo screeches in frustration. “I need to be able to express myself, Lucifer! You’re so mean!”

“Give it up already Asmo.” Mammon says, yawning again. “He doesn’t want anyone to know how he and Diavolo [CENSORED] me all night with a [CENSORED].”

“What’s a censorship hex?” Luke asks, baffled. Lily smiles at Luke for asking the question she wanted the answer to as well.    
  
“Listen up normie, I’m only explaining this once.” Levi says, as if he’s really going out on a limb here to explain things. “Lucifer’s censorship hex doesn’t just censor explicit words, it censors anything that Lucifer himself doesn’t like to hear. Anything that might [CENSORED] at his [CENSORED]. You see what I’m saying?”

“I’m not stupid!” Luke tells Levi, red faced but at least Levi didn’t refer to him as a dog. That’s an improvement at least. Lily thinks the whole thing is pretty extreme and perhaps childish. 

  
“So, back to business.” Solomon says, clearing his throat, trying to get the beeping out of his ears by changing the subject and Lily is grateful for it. “I think you mentioned that day two of the retreat was supposed to be -”

“A scavenger hunt, right?” Simeon asks.    
  
Lucifer nods. “Yes, we’ll be having a scavenger hunt. Each group will be given riddles to solve.” He then explains the rest of it to everyone before reminding them what time dinner will be at that the dance will start directly afterwards.    
  
“We’re doing this in groups, huh? In that case, I’m groupin’ up with Lily.” Mammon says, too tired for his usual tsundere ways he sidles up to her, throwing an arm over her shoulder. He could use a little comfort from his human today after everything that happened last night.    
  
“Why don’t we just say that the groups will be made up of the same people you share a room with?” Diavolo counters, grinning at Mammon. Lily can feel Mammon’s mounting frustration and she wonders if this is some sort of continued punishment for him.   
  
Mammon doesn’t say anything but Lily can hear him practically growling with frustration. She wants to hug him but she’s afraid he’ll push her away. So she just stands there and lets him hold her around the shoulders.

“Can we now have breakfast?” Beelzebub's stomach lets everyone know he’s serious about that. Everyone is agreeable to this idea as Barbatos leads them into the dining room. Lily finds it absurd that most of the attempted conversation is being beeped out with Lucifer’s censorship hex and eventually everyone falls silent. Only Lucifer looks pleased. 

  
After breakfast they begin to group up for the scavenger hunt. “Make sure you find something appropriate to wear for the dance tonight Lily.” Lucifer tells her as he passes by, not even bothering to stop or even look at her as he does. She attempts to glare a hole in the back of his head as he leaves the room, but alas, it doesn’t work. They could have told her to bring something for a dance. What are they thinking: that she can make a dress magically appear?

Not long after Barbatos has given each group their list of items to ‘scavenge’, Asmodeus has flitted off, doing his own thing. Leaving it to Lily and Simeon to try to figure things out on their own. Lily isn’t much help to Simeon either, considering she missed most of the tour and spent her time being chased underground by a giant snake instead. 

Eventually the two of them manage to catch up with the other groups. Simeon approaches Satan, who looks very unapproachable at the moment. “Hey there, Satan. How’re things going for your team? Well, I hope?” Simeon greets him in his amiable way. 

Satan scoffs, glaring at the angel. “Oh please. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You hatched a plot to keep us from winning, didn’t you?” 

Simeon looks surprised by the accusation. “I’m sorry? I’m not sure what you’re referring to?”

Luke has now appeared at Lily’s side, apparently he overheard Satan and doesn’t look happy. “How dare you? We’re not DEMONS.” Earning himself an eye roll from Satan, before he turns his back on the little angel.

“He’s referring to Asmo. Who’s preventing us from making any progress at the moment.” Solomon says, intervening. He gives Lily a small smile but she pretends she didn’t see it, she’s not sure if she’s forgiven him yet.

“Check it out! We found what we were lookin’ for so we tried to take a picture. But then HE went and jumped in front of it so we can’t get a clear shot!” Mammon complains loudly. Showing off his DDD and Asmodeus’ photo-bomb.   
  
“Whaaat? Oh, come on. Wouldn’t you rather have a picture of ME than this boring old piece of art? I’m much better looking. Your camera will thank you!” Asmodeus laughs obnoxiously, leaning in to look at the picture on Mammon’s phone. “Oooh, yes...nice picture! That was a good shot you got of me.” He compliments Mammon, or himself. Lily isn’t sure. “You know, think I look best photographed from just above at maybe a 45 degree angle..” He starts giving Mammon suggestions on how to take his picture next time. “Oh, though I always look good, naturally. As if I even need to tell you that.” He continues to laugh and saunters off, looking for more attention Lily suspects.

Lily wonders what’s up with Asmodeus. Sure, he’s always into himself but he seems particularly obnoxious today. He’s coming off as needy even. Is this because of the talk he had with Simeon yesterday? In any case, desperate for attention is not a good look. Shaking it off, she focuses with Simeon to try to check off some more items on their lists. Obviously Asmodeus doesn’t have any intention of helping at this point.

Only moments later Luke is yelling in frustration. The poor angel is really having a hard time with these demons. “Luke, what's wrong?” Simeon asks, as patient as a saint.   
  
“What’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong! I was trying to take a picture of the goddess statue here, but before I could get the shot, Asmodeus CHARMED the statue!” Luke shouts in outrage. Lily pats Luke’s arm and hopes he’ll calm down. Really, a scavenger hunt shouldn’t have everyone so worked up. There’s obviously older tensions at play here. 

“mmfa mmfa grumphe grumpharafai”    
  


“Beel, how about you swallow that doughnut you’re eating before trying to talk?” Satan says with a still irritated sigh.  
  
“The statue is so totally in love with Asmodeus now that we can’t get her to go back to her original pose. ...Sent!” Apparently Levi is still posting everything to his Devilgram. Lily wonders how many of his posts have fallen victim to the censorship hex. 

“Hey, Asmo! Whaddya think you’re doin’, huh?!” Lily can feel that Mammon is still very grumpy about whatever went down last night that no one can either talk or conjecture about.    
  
“Well, I can’t help it, now can I? It’s not my fault that I’m so charming and ridiculously good-looking. Also, I don’t believe it said anywhere in the rules that we’re not allowed to get into the way of other teams.” Asmodeus replies, looking at Mammon as if he’s dung on his boot before stalking off.    
  
“Hey, where do you think you’re going? We’re not done talking to you, Asmo!” Satan growls.

Asmodeus spins back around, facing his brother’s in a dramatic gesture. “Where am I going? Oh, I dunno, maybe somewhere where I don’t have to listen to someone lecturing me?” He practically spits before resuming his dramatic walk off.   
  
Simeon and Lily exchange a look. “He really is a handful.” Simeon sighs. “What are we going to do, Lily?”

Lily knows the rational thing would be to leave Asmodeus to his pouting. He reminds her of a child throwing a tantrum, just waiting for the parent to give in to his demands. He’s just waiting for someone to go after him and give him attention. Still, she needs to work on her relationships with Asmodeus and Satan if she ever wants to help Belphegor and by extension Beel and the rest of this messed up family. 

“I suppose I’ll try talking to him...” Lily tells Simeon, against her better judgement. 

The angel pats her shoulder affectionately. “You’re a sweet girl Lily.” Lily gives Simeon a small smile and shrugs.    
  


It doesn’t take Lily long to find Asmodeus. He’s checking himself out in a random hallway mirror. 

“Hm? Ah, I was wondering who was behind me.” Asmodeus speaks to her reflection in the mirror, keeping his back to her. “So it’s you, Lily. What? Did you follow me hoping we could have a little alone time?” He asks her coyly, giving her a suggestive look in the mirror. 

Lily takes a deep breath. Even High School didn’t test her patience as much as these demons do at times. “Simeon and I could really use your help, Asmo.” she says sweetly, trying to appeal to his ego. “If we’re going to win..let’s do it fair and square, okay?”   
  
Asmodeus turns to face her now with an incredulous laugh. “Pff...haha! Fair and square? You know you’re talking to a demon, right? Fair and square...oh, Lily..” he sighs, shaking off his laughter. “You’re so tragic you know? Besides, I’m not in the mood to deal with them right now.”

Lily watches Asmodeus as he feigns disinterest. He could leave her standing here and walk away again, but he doesn’t. He wants the attention. She can almost sense it from him. So Lily opens her mouth, deciding to give it one last attempt before rejoining the group, but he cuts her off.

“What? So now you’ve come to lecture me too? Is that it?” He says, stepping into her personal space like he did before. 

Lily looks up at him and meets his gaze. She’s learning that Asmodeus is a lot of talk but so far she hasn’t seen much bite. She’s not going to let him intimidate her. “What you did back there wasn’t nice.” she tells him directly. 

“Oh, was it now? You don’t think I should’ve done that? Reeeally?” Asmodeus’ eyes sparkle,  _ the little mouse doesn’t know when to flee. It’s so tragically cute.  _ He thinks to himself. Asmodeus looks deep into her eyes, searching for that seed of desire that he can inflame. Even though he can see a lot in her expressive violet eyes, he can’t find the thing he’s looking for and can exploit.  _ How frustrating! _ . “Lily, I see you looking into my eyes right now. You don’t feel anything? Like, really? Nothing at all?” 

Lily blinks. Pondering over his words. What does she feel? Annoyed mostly but she also feels..pity? Her heart aches and it’s not because of how beautiful he is or whatever he’d like to believe. She has to suppress the urge to hold him. She wonders when was the last time someone gave Asmodeus a hug out of genuine care and comfort? When was the last time he felt an embrace that wasn’t full of lust?

“I was trying to charm you. You know, like I did down in the labyrinth.” Asmodeus finally speaks again, breaking his gaze away from her and crossing his arms in annoyance. “You saw how I tamed Levi’s old pet snake, right? You’re just a human.” He scoffs and it almost sounds like an accusation. “Yet, for some weird reason, it seems like my power doesn’t work on you. Even so, if you think you can control me, well you’ve got another thing coming!” He says with a contemptuous roll of his eyes.

Lily shakes her head and backs away from him. Control him? What would have given him that impression? “I don’t want to control you.” she tells him softly.

“Well...I obviously don’t know what you want. Since I can’t charm you.” He replies with narrowed eyes. “So I don’t trust you. You may seem sweet and adorable, but we both know what you are capable of.” 

Lily laughs softly. “I’m just trying to survive this mess Asmodeus...I have pacts with three of your brothers. Do you see me controlling them?”

Asmodeus rolls his eyes. “Pacts. Yes. I bet you’ve been dying to get a pact with me. What little human wouldn’t desire this.” He glides his hands over his body lovingly before glaring at Lily. “Do you think that because I made a pact with Solomon, I’m willing to do it with any human who comes along? Please. If you think I’m that easy, you’re mistaken - very mistaken.”

Lily holds her ground as Asmodeus saunters back up to her. He looks down at her, twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers. “You’re certainly no Solomon.” He grins wickedly. “Still…” he pauses, looking her over. “There’s something about you that I can never quite put my finger on...it annoys me.”

Lily just blinks at him silently. She’s not sure what he’s trying to say with that, or what to make of all his drama. She can’t read his thoughts, can’t know that for some unknown reason he wants this girl's attention. Maybe even wants to make a pact with her. But why would he want that if she seems to be worthless? Rolling his eyes he moves back and gives her space again. “I suppose you could convince me that you’re worthwhile.” he grins wickedly. “Perhaps if you could do something like...hmm..outwit Lucifer? If you could do that, then just maybe I’d be convinced you were worthy of me.”

Asmodeus tells Lily that if she can capture a photograph of Lucifer sleeping, then he’ll consider making a pact with her. By the wicked look in his eyes, he expects her to fail. Will probably even be delighted with her failure and possible punishment.

“Alright Asmodeus. I’ll see what I can do...now will you come back and finish the scavenger hunt with Simeon and I?” Lily is relieved when Asmodeus agrees. Everyone is a bit surprised that Asmo has come back, not only that, but he mostly behaves himself for the remainder of the hunt. 

  
Despite the setbacks in the beginning, no one is particularly surprised when the group that included Satan and Solomon ends up winning the scavenger hunt. “In your face!” Mammon laughs, holding up the trophy, being a braggart about their win. He’s already looking if it has any value to sell. Eh, he can probably sell it if it’s worthless as well, if he tells people it comes from the Demon Lord’s Castle.

“It’s not as if you contributed anything.” Satan glowers at Mammon. He knows exactly what his brother is thinking about doing. 

Asmodeus laughs, “Oh just let him gloat, Satan. He needs this win after all. After the night he had with [CENSORED….] Lily covers her ears to try to block out the string of obnoxious beeps that follow whatever Asmo is trying to say. She really doesn’t want to know. 

With the scavenger hunt concluded they all have free time before dinner and the dance. Back in her room, she looks through the few items of clothing she brought with her. She only brought one long skirt and a blouse that might work for tonight, she wonders if it's good enough, the fabric is wrinkled thanks to Asmodeus taking up all the closet space.

She sighs and lays the clothes out on her bed as Asmodeus enters the room. “Is that what you’re wearing tonight?” Asmodeus sniffs. “You realize this is a Ball...at the Demon Lord’s Castle?”

“It’s not like I have ball gowns laying around.” Lily mutters, rolling her eyes. “And nobody told me to bring clothes for a ball…”

“There, there.” Asmodeus patronizes, “You’re just a simple human, I doubt anyone is expecting much from you.” he snaps his fingers and performs a spell that takes out the wrinkles in her clothes.

“Thanks..” She says a bit begrudgingly, but she’s not one to forget her manners. Even if she is dealing with annoying demons.

“I’d let you borrow something of mine but I didn’t bring anything that would suit you.” Asmodeus tells her. “All of us demons will be attending in our demonic forms.” He continues to explain. “Oh! How exciting for you! This will be the first time you get to see me in all my demonic glory!” he chuckles when she just looks at him with wide blinking eyes.

Lily can’t help feel a mix of curious anticipation and fear. Demonic forms usually indicate that she’s in danger. It will be odd to be around so many demons in their true forms, at a dance no less..she’s especially curious about Mammon’s form and Lord Diavolo. She imagines the Prince must look really intimidating. While she daydreams about what sort of tails, wings and horns some of them will have, she decides to curl her hair into loose waves and apply a little makeup, making an effort with what she has.

  
  
When Simeon and Lily walk into the dining room later, Luke greets them enthusiastically. “Lily! You look so pretty!” He beams with a slight blush to his cheeks. “I hope you’ll like the food I’ve prepared.” He holds her hand and guides her over to a seat where she can sit with him and Simeon for a change. 

“Oi! What’s the big idea Fido.” Mammon complains when the angels abscond with his human. 

“Mammon..” Lily pleads with him, giving him a reproachful look. Causing Mammon to quiet down, but he’s clearly not pleased. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve had food from the Celestial Realm.” Levi says, poking at the food on his plate with his fork. “This is so special that it almost feels wrong to eat it.”  
  
“Huh...the flavors are a lot different from what you’ll find in the Devildom.” Satan says, carefully chewing and dissecting each flavor he detects as if he’s a food connoisseur. He’s never bothered to try authentic Celestial Realm food before. “And the ingredients, too. But it’s really good in it’s own way..”

“More please.” Beelzebub beams after quickly polishing off everything on his plate.    
  
“You’re still not full?” Solomon sighs, but he has an almost undetectable smile on his face. “...okay. Here, you can have mine.” He doesn’t see what the excitement is about. To him, the Celestial food tastes the same as any other food he eats.   
  
“Would you like mine as well, Beelzebub?” Lord Diavolo offers, he’ll never say it in front of his guests but he’s realized he doesn’t have the taste for Celestial food. There’s no meat and it’s not savory enough.    
  
“I know you’re trying to be nice, but if you keep giving him food like that, he’ll never stop eating. He’d even eat your arm if you let him.” Lucifer lectures them and Lily notices that Beelzebub isn’t making any effort in defending himself after that statement. Does that mean…?   
  
“Mm, I love the way you seasoned this. You’ve gotten even better, Luke.” Simeon compliments Luke, causing the smaller angel to beam proudly.   
  
“MAN, and this thing here is real good too! You really are pretty good in the kitchen, Fido!” Mammon laughs, enjoying his food.   
  
“How many times do I have to tell you before you’ll get it through your head?! My name’s NOT Fido!” Luke tells Mammon, his earlier blush turning into the deep flush of anger. 

“You do know, they keep teasing you, because you always get upset like that...OR do you do it on purpose? Is that it?” Asmodeus asks, further teasing poor Luke.    
  
Lily finally tries a bite of her own food.  _ Wow. This is amazing.  _ She thinks. “It’s really good.” she tells Luke quietly, which instantly calms him and improves his mood again. “Ignore them.” She smiles before tucking back into her meal. 

  
Lily is focused on her food, it’s really good but it’s also strange. She has an odd sensation of nostalgia while she eats, as if she’s had this food before. But that’s impossible right? There’s been so many strange and impossible things that have happened to her since coming to the Devildom. 

“Hey Lily, LILY!” Her name being shouted makes her jump in her seat, roused from her own thoughts. She looks over to see Lucifer glaring at her. “Didn’t you hear me? I asked you to pass me the dipping sauce. You really seem to be off in space today, don’t you? It’s still only day two, you know?” He lectures her. 

Seeing and hearing him reminds her about Asmodeus’ challenge. She really doesn’t want to participate. Lucifer is a very private demon and she doesn’t want to imagine what sort of punishment she’d be up for if she’s caught. There has to be a better way to get on Asmodeus’ good side, right?   
  
“Do you think we could talk later?” Lily asks Lucifer suddenly.

Asmodeus has been watching the exchange and decides to chime in too. “I think what Lily wants to say is that the two of us would very much love to share a room with you tonight, Lucifer. What do you say to you joining us and swap rooms with Simeon?” 

Lucifer narrows his eyes and looks between Lily and Asmo. His brother looks too pleased about something and Lily looks annoyed. “I don’t know what the two of you are up to, but I’d advise you to stop being ridiculous and pass me the dipping sauce.”

Lily glares at Asmodeus as she passes the dipping sauce to Lucifer. He’s given her an impossible task and now he’s trying to sabotage her on top of it. Asmodeus gives her a wink in response to her glare.  _ Ugh. He’s impossible. _ She thinks before turning back to her food. 

“Well then, I suppose it’s about that time.” Lord Diavolo announces when everyone has finished eating. Well, almost everyone.   
  
“Aw...I’m still not done eating.” Beel says sadly, as he still tries to haul in onto his plate as much as he can.   
  
“I’d say you’ve had enough.” Satan lectures.    
  
“Just watching you is giving me heartburn…” Luke says, making a face as if he can already feel it coming up. He’ll never get used to seeing Beelzebub eat.    
  
“Ignore him, Diavolo. We can’t wait for Beelzebub to finish eating. Go ahead.” Lucifer waves a dismissive hand. He’s tired and he cannot wait for this night to be over.    
  
“All right then, here we go…”

Everyone stands out of their seats, so Lily does the same, wondering what’s going on? She feels an odd sensation, like when you drive into a higher elevation and your ears feel like they need to pop. An aura of powerful magic builds around the Prince until the room shimmers and they are no longer in the dining room. They’re in a grand ballroom. The room is already filled with guests from all three realms, music is playing and the room is full of twirling dancing couples. 

“Surprised?” Solomon asks her with a laugh. She didn’t notice that he’d moved closer. “Magic really does come in handy sometimes, huh?” He gives her a teasing grin.    
  
“We were the only ones here just a bit ago, but now look at all these people.” Luke says in amazement, Lily is glad she’s not the only one who looks surprised.   
  
Simeon smiles at them both. “They’re all guests from across the Devildom, and there certainly are a lot of them. Not to mention delegates from the Celestial Realm and Human World.”

  
“Hmm. This won’t do.” Lily looks up and almost flinches away. Lord Diavolo has moved in front of her and he’s standing there in all his demonic glory. 

The first things that stand out to her are his large wings, the tips are pointed and gilded in gold. They look like they could be used as wicked weapons. His horns are large and gilded too. It’s beyond anything she imagined but she was correct that he strikes an impressive figure. Without asking, Lord Diavolo performs a similar spell to the one he used on the camping trip. But there’s no gilded bows, no instead Lily finds herself having a Cinderella moment as her clothing is transformed. 

Lord Diavolo’s laugh is robust as he takes in Lily’s surprised expression. “Consider it a gift from me to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying my attempts at humor, haha. I'm making a few changes to the way the rest of the retreat goes compared to the game play.. Comments are always appreciated.


	42. Private Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dance

  
Lily stares down at herself wide eyed. She thought the clothes from the Majolish were the nicest things she’d ever know but this..this was something out of a fairytale. Not what she expected from her first Demon ball. Not only is the dress exquisite, but she’s also wearing heavy, expensive looking jewelry. Two gold cuffs adorn her wrists, hiding her tattoo which she’s grateful for, she’s not ready for that conversation with Mammon or the others yet. 

Lucifer and Diavolo have already moved through the crowds to greet important guests. Simeon and Luke excused themselves to greet the small envoy of Angels. Beel had made an immediate beeline for the refreshments table even though they had just finished dinner. 

“Ooh! Look at you!” Asmo laughs, picking at the delicate fabric of her dress. “No one can say that Lord Diavolo doesn’t have taste.” Then he narrows his eyes, looking between Lily and Solomon. “I wonder why he gave you a dress that matches Solomon’s robes though? More importantly! I’ve never been gifted any clothes from Diavolo.” He pouts. Lily stares wide eyed at Asmodeus for a moment, taking in his demonic form. Of course, he notices this right away. “Ooh I know sweetheart. Feast your eyes.” he gives her a little twirl while he laughs before he saunters off. Calling the name of someone he knows in the crowds. 

  
Lily turns to look at Solomon, whose face is unreadable as usual. Asmodeus is right though, the dark tulle layers of her skirt shimmer like the night sky, a perfect match for the lining of Solomon’s Sorcerer Robes. They match in both coloring and style. 

“There’s an easy enough explanation of that.” Solomon says, smirking at Lily’s bewildered expression. “I have a reputation among demons while Lily is vulnerable. Some of the guests here will be less likely to make a target of her if we look...attached. The two human exchange students standing together in solidarity.” He gives Lily a wink and she rolls her eyes. 

“Oi!” Mammon pushes his way in front of his remaining brothers. Lily’s eyes widen when she gets a good look at him in his demon form. It’s not like she hasn’t seen him half undressed before but he seems even more impressively figured in this form and his outfit is something else. He looks like the demonic poster boy for bad boys all over the Devildom. 

“Whaddya talkin’ about? Huh?! I’m all the protection my human needs.” Mammon says, getting in Solomon’s face. “The Great Mammon ain’t need no help from some shady wizard.” 

Solomon doesn’t seem impressed by Mammon’s bravado, if anything, Lily thinks he looks slightly amused? “Of course. My mistake.” Solomon tells Mammon. “Perhaps Diavolo just thought we’d make a handsome couple as the two human exchange students?”

“Wh..c-couple! Don’t be gettin’ any ideas.” Mammon growls. Solomon only chuckles, which only makes Mammon growl more. 

“Excuse me...I see someone I’d like to speak with.” Solomon says, leaving the group. 

“Oi! Don’t ignore me!” Mammon shouts after him. 

  
“Give it a rest Mammon.” Satan chides in exasperation. 

Lily get’s a good look at Satan next. His horns are something else, he has a tail wrapped around one leg and no wings. Lily wonders about how all demons seem to have horns but not every demon has wings or a tail. She finds Satan’s clothes a bit over the top, they don’t seem to suit his personality even though he carries himself the same as ever. Maybe this is his artsy side that she’s heard mentioned before?

When Mammon is done burning a hole in the back of Solomon’s head he turns back to Lily, looking her up and down before he blushes. “Yo, Lily, Um, like...you know...Uh, I mean, like...uh L-like, you’ve gotta have weird tastes to ask a human like you to dance.” Lily is frowning, is Mammon really going to start picking on her here? All she can sense through their pact is a sense of nervousness. Levi and Satan are rolling their eyes behind him. “I’m guessin’ no one here’s gonna do that, huh? Ahahhaha!” Mammon laughs nervously before coughing, ”..So y’know, as long as you don’t have a partner, I guess I could maybe go ahead and pair up with you for a li’l bit.” He shrugs.

Lily has her hands clasped in front of her as she blinks at Mammon. Is he asking her to dance after ridiculing her?

“Mammon, why not just admit that you want to dance with Lily?” Satan says with a teasing grin.   
  
“You’re such a loser!” Levi laughs. “And a total tsundere! Looool People are sick of characters like that!...Didn’t you get the memo? Lolololol Those characters are so yesterday! LMAO”

Mammon whirls on his younger brothers with a growl. “GRRRR! Get outta here, both of you! Shoo! Shoo!”

While his back is turned on Lily, Lucifer approaches from the crowds. Looking as arrogant, proud and perfect as ever. “Lily, come dance with me. Now.” He orders her with that air of someone who expects to be obeyed at all times without question. Lily wonders which was worse, Lucifer's orders or Mammon’s fumbling insult. Right now, she’d much prefer to dance with Mammon. She suspects she won’t have any choice in the matter though and she needs to make an effort to win Lucifer over if she’s ever going to help Belphegor.

  
Mammon turns in surprise when he hears Lucifer’s command. Lily nervously takes Lucifer’s hand and he pulls her into the throngs of dancing couples. Mammon’s shoulders sag with disappointment.    
  
Satan sighs, shaking his head. “...See, you should’ve just come out and asked Lily to dance.”   
  
“The loser was rejected! Haha, awesome! Loool” Levi cheers. At least he doesn’t have to worry about being rejected because he’ll never ask anyone to dance in the first place. At least he has that over Mammon.    
  
“SHUT UP YOU TWO!” Mammon snaps before stalking off. 

  
“Do you know how to dance?” Lucifer asks Lily once he’s pulled her all the way across to the other side of the ballroom. There’s not a familiar face in sight. Surrounded by twirling, raucous laughing demon couples on the dance floor. Lucifer’s stoic expression and stiff formality make him stand out in the crowd. 

“No.” Lily responds quietly, shaking her head. 

Lucifer sighs. “Very well.” He slips and arm easily around her waist, pulling her up and against him. Her toes barely scrap the tops of his shoes. He’s so much taller than her that it hurts to look up at his face from this angle. His other hand holds hers as he twirls her around the ballroom like a ragdoll.

“In general, there are all sorts of reasons why one might ask someone else to dance. For example, they might be interested in them, they might want to touch them, or they might simply be doing it out of politeness. Or it could be because they want to have a private conversation.” Lucifer begins a conversation that Lily can only guess will be as unpleasant as this dance has already become. He continues when she remains silent. 

“What is it you’re plotting with Asmo?” Lily gapes. He knows?  _ Well Asmodeus wasn’t very subtle earlier. _ She thinks to herself, not answering him “Let me make one thing clear: I respect my brothers’ freedom to do as they wish. However, if I ever sense that you’ve become a threat to either Diavolo or us...then I will show you absolutely no mercy. Understood?”

Lily nods mutely at first. He’s holding onto her so tight, her hand hurts and she can barely breathe in this gown and the way he’s crushing her up against him. She tries pushing him away with her free hand but it’s useless. She has no hope against someone like Lucifer. 

“We’re not plotting anything Lucifer, I promise.” She tells him, cranking her neck back so she can look into his cruel obsidian ruby eyes. 

“Why do I have trouble believing that?” 

“I-I just want us all to be f-friends.” she gasps out, feeling short of breath. 

“Well, that’s not what I want.” Lucifer growls lowly in her ear, crushing her further. 

Suddenly his hold is loosened on her and her feet are touching the ground once more as Solomon approaches them with a stoic expression. “Pardon me.” He interrupts. “Well, looks like a new song has started. I’d love the chance to dance with Lily, might I cut in?”

Lucifer glares at Solomon for one long moment before he releases Lily completely and steps away. “Fine.” Lucifer turns back to address Lily directly. “I get the feeling that you’ve gotten the message and you understand what I’m telling you, Lily. I’m glad we got to have this little talk.” He gives her a short bow, kissing her bruised hand as if he were the consummate gentleman. 

  
Solomon steps in and takes Lucifer’s place. His hold is firm yet gentle as he begins to lead Lily in the dance. “You look pale. Did Lucifer say something to you?” 

Before Lily can respond she’s tripping over her own feet, falling into Solomon’s chest until he steadies her with a chuckle. “Sorry.” Lily apologizes with a blush. She may look the part of Cinderella but she lacks her charms and grace. 

“Not to worry.” He tells her with a smile. “I take it you’ve never danced before?” Lily shakes her head to confirm his assumption. Mumbling a short incantation under his breath, Lily gasps and grips Solomon’s shoulder tightly when a sensation of lightness takes over her, she feels light as a feather and Solomon easily lifts her to stand on top of his own feet as he twirls her around the ballgown. 

Lily momentarily forgets herself, where she is, who she’s with. The sensation is wonderful, she feels so light, it’s almost like flying. At least that’s how she imagines it. The way her skirts flow around them is a sight as he moves her fluidly through the dance. She can’t help the laugh of delight that escapes. She doesn’t notice the way Solomon’s eyes light up at the sight and sound of her merriment. 

“Lily.” Solomon’s voice brings her back down to earth. Or more accurately, back to hell. 

“Thank you..for cutting in.” Lily tells him with sincerity. She’s decided that Solomon is a mystery to her and she doesn’t completely trust him. But he has been more good than bad to her and for now she'll give him the benefit of doubt. 

“Think nothing of it.” He tells her with that obnoxious smirk of his. “This is the Devildom. When it comes down to it, you’re human, and that makes you different. Never forget that. You may have made pacts with demons, but you still lack the power to command them.”

Lily blinks at Solomon, she’s not sure what he means. When she tells Mammon to shut up, he does, after all. But he somehow reads her mind and answers her unasked question. 

“Getting them to temporarily obey a verbal command only takes strength of will, but that’s not what sort of command I’m speaking of. To completely control your demon, to draw out their power and use it for your own purposes is what I speak of.” He informs her. 

“Well how do you command a demon you’ve made a pact with then?” Lily asks curiously. 

“Everyone has some amount of magical power by nature. However, there are some people in which it actually manifests itself, and some people in which it doesn’t. And even among those in which it does, some have more of it than others.” Solomon begins his explanation and Lily struggles to follow. “It varies based on the individual. Seeing how it doesn’t even manifest itself in you to begin with, even though you’ve made pacts with demons, you can’t take command of their powers…” He explains. 

Lily finds this a bit disappointing. Sure, she doesn’t really like bossing them around, she respects them, she cares about them. She wouldn’t want to violate that trust. Yet she can see how she would be much safer here if she had that ability. She is so used to being independant and taking care of herself and now she’s stranded in a place where she’s lost control over her own life and on top of that she’s at the bottom of the food chain so to speak. She doesn’t like relying on others for her safety. It makes her feel small and weak. 

Suddenly, Solomon has a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. The smirk is back as he asks her, “Would you like me to lend you my power?” Lily’s eyes widen, lending her his power? How does that even work? Does she want that?

“Let’s just say I’m curious to know what would happen if I did. You’re a destabilizing element here in this world. I can’t say what might happen if I do this. Which is exactly what makes it interesting.” Solomon continues to explain. _ A destabilizing element? What does he mean by that?  _ Lily thinks to herself. If anything. Everyone else has been a destabilizing element to her life not the other way around. 

Without waiting for permission, Solomon transfers some of his power to Lily. Suddenly she’s feeling overwhelmed and light headed. Solomon has ducked them behind a pillar in a far corner of the room, out of sight. 

“There I’ve put a spell on you. Don’t worry the dizziness will fade soon.” He explains. “As of this moment, you have use of my powers for the next six hours. You should experience what it’s like to control a demon and use his powers. We are on a retreat after all. Why waste this opportunity.” He smiles as Lily glares at him once more. She’s really getting tired of these presumptuous males playing with her like a puppet on their strings. “So, go...show me what you can do. I’m counting on you to deliver.” Solomon calls out after her as she makes her leave.

Lily still feels dizzy and almost drunk. The ballroom seems to spin around her as she tries to make her way through the crowds of demons. She tries her best to ignore their leering smiles and mocking laughter. Finally she comes to the buffet table, she barely notices the state that Beelzebub has already left it in as she pours herself a cup of punch. She’s relieved when the cool, sweet liquid slides down her parched throat.  _ At least the punch is good. No eyeballs or other things floating in the punch bowl. _ She thinks to herself. 

  
“Lily!” She looks up with a start at the demon in front of her.  _ Oh it’s just him. What does he want now?  _ She wonders to herself, eyeing his demon form which reminds her of a goat. “Dance with me.” He says. 

She shakes her head, she’s had enough dancing for one evening. “No, thank you.” She refuses him politely. Mephistopheles is not taking no for an answer though and he takes her by the hand and pulls her back into the throngs of dancing pairs. Lily tries to pull away but it’s useless. 

“Calm down.” He chuckles. “I just wanted to apologize to you. Thought maybe you could put a good word in for me with Lucifer?” Mephistopheles tries to dazzle her with a charming smile. 

Lily just looks at the demon as if he’s lost his mind. What makes him think that she holds any sway with Lucifer? 

He begins to say something when they’re interrupted by a disdainful sigh. “Mephisto what are you doing? Being humiliated in front of all of RAD wasn’t enough for you?” Lily looks to see who is speaking as Mephistopheles halts their dancing. Lily blinks at the striking figure speaking. The way he carries himself reminds her of Lucifer. Tall, poised, intimidating. His long white hair falls like a silky waterfall down to his waist. Bright, piercing blue eyes. One set of large black feathered wings are tucked in tightly. His large horns are as pale and bleached as his hair. 

“What do you mean?!” Mephisto asks with mock defensiveness. “I’m merely trying to correct a mistake!”

“I warned you not to meddle in their affairs.” The other demon says. He doesn’t acknowledge Lily’s presence at all. She’d really like to take the chance to flee but Mephisto still has a grip on her. 

“Oh don’t be so miserly ‘tothy.” A feminine voice draws Lily’s attention to three more demons approaching them. The female is stunning with her bronze skin, golden eyes and long ebony hair. The female drapes herself over the white haired demon’s shoulder, winking at Lily. They look like a stunning pair, contrasting colors and dispositions. Light and dark, cold and hot. The other two male demons that approach also make an interesting pair, but Lily doesn’t have much time to reflect on them when Mammon suddenly barges into the scene. 

“Oi! Get your filthy mitts off my human.” Mammon snaps. The one the female called ‘tothy makes a grimace and leaves without another word, taking the demoness with him. Mephistopheles rolls his eyes but releases Lily regardless as Mammon tries to be intimidating. Lily watches him leave with the other two demons who begin to tease him. 

  
  
“I really can’t leave ya alone for a second can I?” Mammon turns to her after glaring at the others leaving. Lily feels relaxed again, being in Mammon’s company even if he’s always scowling and acting rough. She beams up at him causing him to blush. “Oi! Whaddya think you’re lookin’ at human?!” he growls and then pulls her close. “I guess I’m stuck dancin’ with ya.” he grumbles as he begins to sway with her in his arms. He moves slowly and gently with her, not trying to pull her into any of the elaborate ballroom dances that others are doing around them. Feeling at ease for the first time since the dance began, she tries to enjoy herself.    
  
“HEY! Watch it! You’re gonna scuff up my boots steppin’ on ‘em like that!” Mammon grumbles as Lily still manages to stumble. “Geez, you’re such a clumsy thing aren’t ya?” He suddenly chuckles. 

Lily blushes. “I’ve never danced before.”

Mammon snorts. “No kiddin’?” He teases. “If you’re ever lucky enough, maybe sometime The Great Mammon will show you his moves. Heh. This ballroom stuff ain’t my style.” He smirks and does a sexy hip roll, making Lily giggle. He’s grinning at her, there’s something different about her that he can’t quite put his finger on. Their pact feels stronger than ever and he’s blushing feeling her feelings of happiness and safety surging through him.  _ The little dummy really trusts me? Huh..  _ He thinks to himself, he can barely believe it. 

The rest of the dance goes by smoothly, Mammon doesn’t leave her side and eventually Beel and Levi join them. Lily ends up confiding in them about Asmodeus’ challenge to her but decides to keep what happened between her and Solomon a secret for now. There’s no knowing how they would react to that and besides, she felt fine now. The only difference she could feel was that she was even more connected to her pacts than ever before. 

  
When Lily finally retires to her room, neither of her roommates are around. Maybe tonight she’ll be able to get a good rest, after all, she has to make lunch for everyone tomorrow. As she's changing out of the beautiful gown that she'll probably never wear again, she realizes that her previous clothes are lost to her. Those were some of her favorite pieces, she shakes her head. She really wishes these demons had the common courtesy of asking for permission. It’s late when the incessant and loud buzzing of her DDD wakes her. She quickly silences it before it can wake her roommates. Wondering why someone is bothering her right now, she opens the message. 

**Brothers Under a Pact**

**< Mammon: ** Man, I don’t believe Asmo. He knows it’s impossible, but he goes and tells Lily to do it anyway. What an ass.  
**< Beel: ** I mean, we couldn’t do it last time.  
**< Mammon:** Exactly. It’s impossible.   
**< Leviathan:** I wouldn’t mind going, personally.   
**< Mammon:** Wha? Seriously? Why?   
**< Leviathan:** I mean, a picture of Lucifer’s face while he’s asleep? That’d totally blow up on social media. And you didn’t invite me along last time, so this time I’m going.   
**> Lily:** It’s late. I said I didn’t want to do this. I’ll think of some other way to get Asmodeus on our side.    
**< Leviathan:** We can get the picture for you Lily. Asmo will never know!   
**> Lily:** Levi that’s sweet but I don’t want you to get into trouble.   
**< Leviathan:** I-I’m not! If you think I’m just doing this for you then you’d be mistaken! Mammon and Satan don’t have a monopoly on having beef with Lucifer.   
**< Mammon** : Fine. Do whatever you want! Don’t come cryin’ to me when it blows up in your face!  
**< Leviathan:** How about you, Beel? Interested?   
**< Beel:** No thanks.   
**< Levi:** Would a Hellfire-Baked Cheesecake from Madam Devian change your mind?  Because if you come along, I’ll give you one   
**< Beel:** I’ll be there.   
**< Mammon:** Wha...that’s all it took?!   
**< Leviathan: ** OK, that settles it. It’ll just be me and Beel. Once we’re victorious, we’ll see who Lily’s favorite demons are then! LMAO   
**< Mammon: ** Wait. Who said I wasn’t going, huh?  
**< Beel: ** You did. Just now.   
**< Mammon:** Shut up, Beel!   
**> Lily:** I really don’t want any of you to go!   
**< Mammon: ** Fine. I’m stayin’ to keep Lily company while you fools get into trouble.   
**< Leviathan:** Man, you’re totally transparent. Loool

Lily can’t rest easy. Especially after Lucifer’s threats during the dance. She doesn’t want them getting into trouble on her account. Quietly she slips out of bed and dresses, she’s going to go stop them, even if she has to use a command. 

Meanwhile Levi texts Satan and it pops up on Lily’s phone as a spy chat. 

**34**

**> Leviathan: ** Beel and I are going to get a picture of Lucifer sleeping. Are you in?  
**< Satan:** He’ll kill you if he catches you.  
**> Leviathan:** So are you coming?  
**< Satan:** …   
**< Satan:** I’ll go.   
**> Leviathan: (Yes Demon Sticker)**

Lily sighs, now they have Satan involved? She can’t command him. This is getting worse by the minute. Wondering what in the world is going on with Leviathan, she doesn’t make it very far down the hallway when she bumps into Mammon. “Oi! Whaddya doin’ out of bed?” He interrogates her a little too loudly.    
  
“Shhh!” Lily puts her hand over Mammon’s mouth since he’s leaned down to get in her face about it. He pushes her hand away.

“I’m going to stop Levi and Beel.” She whispers. 

“Why would ya do that? Just leave ‘em to it.” Mammon tells her. 

Lily blinks and shakes her head. “I don’t want them getting into trouble.” she says and makes her way towards Lucifer’s room hoping she’ll be able to head them off. 

Behind her, Mammon sighs. “Ugh. You’re killin’ me human. Ya never know when to leave somethin’ alone do ya?” He can’t see her roll her eyes, like he’s one to lecture her. But he still follows her.   
  
_ Oh no! _ Lily’s eyes go wide when she sees Levi, Beel, and Satan sneaking into Lucifer’s room up ahead. She’s too late! “You’re too late.” Mammon says, grabbing her hand, echoing her thoughts. 

“We still have to try and stop them! Or at least make sure they don’t get caught.” Lily replies, Mammon allows her to tug him along against his better judgement. Carefully she opens the door and peeks inside but it’s pitch black. 

“I’ve got a bad feelin’” Mammon for once has the good sense to whisper as he steps into the room right behind Lily. 

“Levi?” Lily whispers. There’s no answer and a few more steps into the room, the floor opens up beneath their feet and Lily finds herself falling into an abyss of darkness.    
  
“D’AAAAHHHHHHH!” Mammon screams and reaches out, grabbing Lily around the waist as they fall together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed a bit up here at the end. Cerberus doesn't make sense for this story since he's like a puppy in Lily's hands. I'd love to hear your thoughts so far! I have two more chapters before the retreat is finished. Updating might be slow since I'll be busy IRL for a while.


	43. Charmed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily makes her fourth pact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Cluelesse for helping me out with the action in this chapter!

When the ground finally comes to meet them, Mammon turns with Lily in his arms so her fall is cushioned. “Oof.” He mumbles, when he lands on the others. Lily is still clutching onto his jacket, breathing hard after that scare. She didn’t think she was going to make it out of that uninjured.    
  
“Get off me!” A muffled voice, sounding like Satan, from below has Lily scrambling to get off of Mammon, but he’s slow to release her. When Lily manages to find her own feet, her eyes slowly adjust to the low light of their new environment. 

She sees Levi shove Mammon off of him. “Idiot.” he grumbles to him. “Hey!” he complains as Satan pushes him off of his stomach, not so gently. Underneath them all is Beel, who finally can stand and brush himself off. 

Lily rushes to his side. “Are you alright, Beel?” she asks him, the light is too low for her to inspect him for injury.

Beelzebub blushes, seeing Lily’s wide concerned eyes, her delicate little hand on his arm. “Yeah. I’m okay.” He lets her know, offering her a gentle smile before he looks around and frowns. “Wait a minute. Are we where I think we are?”  
  
Leviathan nods. “The underground Labyrinth.” He confirms Lily’s own suspicions. 

“Again?!” Mammon laments, throwing up his hands.    
  
“Leave it to Lucifer to screw us all over.” Satan growls, but then looking around curiously. “Well at least this wasn’t a complete waste. I wanted to get a look at this place myself.” He wanders off a bit from the others.   
  
“Hey, do you hear something?” Beelzebub asks.   
  
Everyone goes still, listening. “Yeah, like something big and heavy is sliding along the ground.” Leviathan confirms what they’re all hearing.    
  
“Levi, are you sure your tail isn’t out right now? It’s not hanging down and dragging on the ground?” Mammon asks nervously, Lily knows they must all be thinking the same thing. It would be so much better if it was Leviathan’s tail, over the alternative...    
  
“Hey, that’s rude! Of course I don’t have my tail out right now. That sound isn’t coming from me.” Leviathan snaps. “I feel like I’ve heard this sound before. Relatively recently...and I’m pretty sure it was here. You know, back when Henry 1.0 appeared.”   
  
Just then the snake in question peeks its head around the corner at them, it’s yellow slit eyes glowing in the darkness.  _ *HISSSS* It hisses, when it notices them, bearing it’s long needle like fangs. _

  
“RUN!” Beelzebub yells, picking Lily up under his arm and they all flee from the snake as fast as they can. Taking turns haphazardly. 

“AAAAAAH! I can’t believe THIS is happenin’ again, too!” Mammon complains as they run for it. “I thought Asmo charmed this snake of yours, Levi! Why’s it comin’ after us again?!”    
  
“Because the charm wore off a long time ago!” Leviathan shouts back, panting and already feeling out of breath.    
  
“This thing used to be your pet, Levi! Can’t you do something?!” Satan asks, annoyed that he’s having to run instead of explore.   
  
“If I could, don’t you think I would’ve already?!”   
  
“Okay then, grilled snake it is!” Beelzebub says, his stomach rumbles loudly. He stops running, puts Lily back on her feet and transforms into his demonic form. “I’m hungry.”   
  
“I TOLD you, NO! If you eat Henry 1.0, I’ll eat YOU, Beel! That’s a promise!” Leviathan growls, transforming himself. 

Satan rolls his eyes as he watches his brothers about to launch into a fight in a time like this. He turns to face the snake, a wicked smile on his face. “No hard feelings.” he says to it, as his fists become engulfed in green flames. Lily watches on in horror! Oh no! Poor Levi!. Mammon is distracted by Levi and Beel, trying to pull them apart, since there’s no time for that right now and they all know when Levi gets too agitated he’ll summon Lotan. Drowning in a dank labyrinth is not on his agenda today. So he doesn’t notice what is happening behind him. 

  
“Satan, please don’t!” Lily pleads. But he either doesn’t hear her, or ignores her. Whatever the case, her plea comes too late as Satan launches two white-hot green fireballs towards the gigantic snake that’s coming towards them with impossible speed. 

“Henry!” Leviathan gasps out, the fireballs have caught everyone’s attention. Lily can feel his terror for his former pet course through her like an actual tidal wave. 

“No!” she cries out as some sort of instinct seems to take her over. She feels she can reach some strange, but at the same time familiar untapped power deep inside her. She uses it to access Leviathan’s terror for Henry 1.0 and suddenly a wall of water floods up out of nowhere. Like a tidal wave, it rushes towards Henry 1.0, catching up on Satan’s white-hot fireballs and quenching the flames before they can strike Henry 1.0. The snake rears back, startled from the sudden flood of water, hitting it out of nowhere with much force. Leaving it temporarily stunned.

“Hey!” Satan growls angrily, looking back at Leviathan. But then he sees his brother looking on dumbfounded.  _ It wasn’t his doing _ ? He thinks.  _ Then how? _

“What the...?!” Mammon exclaims.    
  
“H-How?!” Levi says, sounding dazed.  
  
  
“No time.” Beel tells them all, scooping Lily up again as Henry 1.0 resumes his pursuit of them.    
  
They run and run until they get a good lead on Henry 1.0. Beelzebub sets Lily down, his stomach gurgling loudly. “I’m too hungry to keep running.”    
  
_ If only Asmodeus was here to charm Henry 1.0  _ Lily thinks to herself. She thinks about what just happened. She doesn’t understand how she was able to do it but she couldn’t lie to herself. She was able to channel Leviathan’s power and use it to quench Satan’s flames. Then she thinks of what Solomon did to her earlier. She’s not sure of the time. Has it been more than six hours already? It’s the only explanation she can think of for all of this. Maybe there’s still a little time left. It’s a crazy plan and it shouldn’t work from what she’s learned so far but still, she has to try!  There’s an animated conversation going on around her about the water magic that came out of nowhere and quenched Satan’s powerful flames. Satan can’t believe that it wasn’t Leviathan but Levi insists that it was Lily. Lily ignores them as she steps away from the group, facing where Henry 1.0 will most likely appear from next.

“Hey, Lily!! What’re ya doin’?!” Mammon notices and looks at her as if she’s crazy. “Get back behind us! Ya wanna be snake food or what?!”

  
Lily closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, remembering the words Solomon spoke before.  **_“Hear me denizens of the darkness, you who are born of shadow and you who give birth to it. Hear me and do as I command! I call upon you to send forth one of your number!”_ **

“Hey, I know that incantation. Whaddya think you’re..?” Mammon and everyone else looks surprised. What is she doing? She doesn’t have magic and even if she did, all the demons she has a pact with are currently beside her. 

**_“I summon the Avatar of Lust, Asmodeus!”_ **

Satan’s mocking scoff is cut short when Asmodeus actually appears in a burst of magic. Lily ignores the gasps of shock from behind her, she’s just really relieved it worked! Asmodeus stretches and yawns, he looks annoyed. “Solomon, what could you possibly need at this hour? You know that lack of sleep is bad for my skin, right?” It takes Asmodeus a second to turn around, he’s shocked at his surroundings. “...wh...huh? Wha? No way...how could I be here?!”

“Did Lily just summon Asmo..?” Beelzebub asks.    
  
Asmodeus laughs, “Lily? Hahaha! Don’t be ridiculous Beel! Now where are you hiding Solomon?”

  
“Whatever, who cares?! Just do something about Henry 1.0” Levi shouts, pointing down the corridor at the advancing snake.    
  
Asmodeus turns around, seeing the snake with surprise. Lily wastes no more time, shaking herself out of her surprise that she was actually able to do it, she repeats the second spell. 

**_“Denizens of the darkness, awaken! You who are born of shadow, hear me! I call upon you now to lend your power to Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust!”_ **

Power surges through and around Asmodeus, so strongly that he transforms into his demonic form. “I don’t believe it…!” He laughs, looking down at his own self with a delighted little laugh. “what’s even going on right now? This power..not even Solomon has ever managed to draw this out of me..”    
  
Henry 1.0 is bearing down on them, ready to strike. However, a simple glance into Henry’s eyes has the snake transfixed. “Henry, you can totally tell too, right?” Everyone is surprised when the snake practically purrs back. Flicking it’s long forked tail over Asmodeus’ cheek. 

“Henry 1.0 is tame again!” Leviathan cheers, happy and relieved all at once.  
  
  
“Hold on a second, Asmo hasn’t made a pact with Lily, has he?” Mammon crosses his arms, looking between them suspiciously. What has been going on in that bedroom of theirs that he doesn’t know about?! “So why was he able to be summoned here AND have his power drawn out like that?!”

“And not only that, Lily’s got way more magical power than Solomon.” Asmodeus says in awe. “Lily dear, what exactly is the story with you, anyway?” Asmodeus asks, he’s totally transfixed on Lily, as if it’s the first time he’s truly seeing her.    
  
Lily begins to tell them about how Solomon lent her some of his powers at the dance. “Still.” Asmodeus interrupts her. “That doesn’t explain how you were able to summon a demon you don’t have a pact with AND bring out so much power with borrowed magic….No there’s something else going on here.” He says, stepping closer to her and tracing her lips with his thumb, until Mammon grabs his hand and pushes him away as he wedges himself between them posessively.    
  
“We can talk about this after we get back to the castle. I want the Madam Devian’s Hellfire Baked Cheesecake that Levi owes me.” Beelzebub says, interrupting them before it heads into a full blown fight.    
  
“Cheesecake? THAT’S the most important thing to you right now?!” Mammon says, throwing up his hands in disbelief.    
  


Henry 1.0 begins to lead them out of the Labyrinth once more. Levi talks animatedly to his former pet along the way, Beel trails behind stealing hungry glances at Henry 1.0, no doubt thinking about grilled snake shish kabobs while his stomach growls. Mammon walks with Lily, keeping himself between her and Asmodeus. Asmodeus talks passionately with Satan about their theories on Lily’s ability to channel Solomon’s magic. All the while, Asmodeus steals heated glances her way.    
  
Lily herself is oblivious to all of this, as she mindlessly puts one foot in front of another. She’s exhausted again, she can feel the difference in her bones. Whatever magic Solomon lent her was used up with Asmodeus. Everything feels dimmer now. Mammon notices how Lily starts to trip over her own feet and stops her. Lily blinks at him, when he crouches down in front of her. 

“Well? Jump on already! Stop wastin’ my time.” He snaps, his cheeks red. Lily realizes what he’s offering but struggles to jump on his back. 

“Oh let me give you a hand darling.” Asmodeus coos, his hands plant themselves on Lily’s rear as he pushes her up. Lily wraps her legs around Mammon’s waist and clings to his neck. She’s blushing hard from the little squeeze Asmodeus gave her tush as he helped her up. 

“Oi! No touchin’!” Mammon growls, putting more distance between the and his brother. His strong hands support her legs and she soon finds herself half asleep, just conscious enough to hold on, as they make their way out of the Labyrinth.    
  


“All right, I understand how you got yourselves into this mess. It’s all too clear. And what’s also clear is that no matter where you go, you always manage to stir up trouble.” The sound of Lucifer’s stern voice stirs Lily from sleep. She sits up blinking, she’s on a settee in some sort of sitting room in the Castle. By the looks of it, Lucifer is about to start one of his infamous lectures.   
  
“Currently getting reamed out by Lucifer.” Lily shakes her head at Levi, who stands there with his DDD out, in his own little world, making inappropriate Devilgram posts. Beelzebub on the other hand is looking guilty.    
  
“I couldn’t resist the allure of that cheesecake.”   
  
“Just so we’re clear, I TRIED to stop ‘em! But they were all like, “This’ll blow up on social media” and, “I gotta have my cheesecake.” And Asmo was the one who came up with the idea in the first place -” Mammon begins to make excuses for his involvement.    
  
“MAAAAAAMOOOOOOOONNN?”    
  
“Yikes!”   
  
  
Lily decides to intervene, for once Mammon had tried to do the right thing. At least the right thing by her, so she’s not going to let Lucifer pin this all on him. “I tried to talk them out of it and Mammon did too.” She tells Lucifer as she pushes her way to the front of the group.    
  
“Ah, look who’s awake.” Lucifer pins her with a deadly glare.    
  
“Well, how were we supposed to know that there was a portal into the Labyrinth there?” Beel asks, already with a mouthful of cheesecake. Lily doesn’t even know when or where Levi would have procured one for him.    
  
“R-Right, yeah! I thought that was s’posed to be Lucifer and Diavolo’s room!” Mammon sputters, blushing from the fact that Lily stood up for him.   
  
Lucifer smirks and crosses his arms. “I had a curse put on the door. If you open it without knocking, it transports you straight to the Labyrinth.”   
  
“Why’d you do that…?” Luke asks, and for the first time since waking up Lily realizes they have a larger audience than she thought.    
  
“To prevent a certain someone from breaking in and stealing and of the castle’s decorative pieces to sell for profit.” Lucifer explains smugly.    
  
“Mammon..” Beel shakes his head in disappointment.    
  
“Drop dead, Mammon. Like, right now.” Levi growls, glaring at Mammon.    
  
“Hey! How’s this MY fault?!” Mammon throws his hands, even when his little brothers are the ones causing trouble he somehow takes the blame.    
  


“Also, it would seem that a certain someone very kindly lent his powers to Lily. Isn’t that right, Solomon?” Lucifer sends his deadly glare across the room to the shady sorcerer who stands there smirking. Lily shifts uneasily, looking between the demon and sorcerer. She’s still not okay with everyone making decisions for her and doing things to her; with or without her consent. Yet she can’t deny that without Solomon they would have been trapped down in that Labyrinth for much longer and poor Levi might have had to endure the death of his beloved Henry 1.0. 

Solomon just hums, pretending like he doesn’t know what Lucifer is referring to. “Hm? You mean there’s actually someone out there in the Devildom who’s that kind? Well, it’s the first I’ve heard of this.”   
  
Lucifer’s eyes narrow even further on Solomon. Lily almost expects lasers to shoot out of them at any moment. However, Asmodeus, who had been fairly silent up until now interrupts before things escalate.    
  
“I’ve made up my mind, I’ll make a pact with Lily!” Asmodeus announces, moving so that he can grasp Lily’s hands in his own. Everyone in the room, including Lily looks shocked. 

  
“Wha?!” Mammon begins to stutter and flush. He’s obviously not loving the idea of another one of his brother’s making a pact with her and he’s making it embarrassingly obvious to everyone. Lucifer looks annoyed, maybe even sullen as he stares at Asmodeus silently.   
  
“But what about the task you gave? Didn’t it end in complete failure again?” Satan finally says, he’s looking annoyed over the whole situation himself as he glares at Lily. All he wanted to do was get blackmail on Lucifer. Exploring the Labyrinth would have been a good consolation prize for failing, but he didn’t even get to do that.    
  
Asmodeus smiles, “Yep. But I mean, even if Solomon did lend his powers, it shouldn’t be possible for someone to draw that kind of power out of me, you know? I mean, you’ve got to admit, it’s super impressive! I didn’t even get to see her draw out Levi’s powers!” He shivers, as if the thought is arousing to him. “Lily you really were amazing down there!” He looks her in her eyes before looking around at his brothers. “So I’m making a pact with Lily. I’ve made up my mind.”

“WHOA, HOLD ON!” Mammon finally shouts, waving his hands as if that will stop everything.   
  
Asmodeus rolls his eyes at Mammon before looking straight into Lucifer’s eyes. “I’m allowed to do that, right Lucifer?”

Lily looks at Lucifer, he still doesn’t look pleased, not by a long shot. True to his word, he doesn’t interfere but he doesn’t voice his blessing either. This is good enough for Asmodeus as he leads Lily away by her hand. Lily can hear Mammon starting to throw a fit but he’s quickly subdued when Lucifer decides to take out all his frustrations on his dear younger brother.   
  
“Score one more pact for the exchange student! That makes four!” Levi laughs and makes a post on his Devilgram.    
  
Solomon watches with an unreadable expression as Asmodeus and Lily disappear from view. Satan notices and smirks at the sorcerer. “What’s the matter Solomon? Don’t want to share Asmo with a fellow human?” 

“Asmodeus is free to make pacts with whomever he wishes.” Solomon tells Satan with a wry grin, not falling for the bait. 

Satan watches as Solomon takes his leave. Only one thing is clear to him, Lucifer isn’t very happy with Lily slowly conquering his brothers one by one. Satan never thought he’d be considering making a pact with a human such as Lily. Just like a book, you can’t judge one by it’s cover. As she reveals her pages, he finds himself becoming more and more intrigued. Asmodeus is extremely picky, he must have felt something powerful to have such a radical change in his attitude towards the human. At this point, he might even consider making his own pact with the strange girl even if it’s just to piss off Lucifer. 

  
  
Asmodeus pulls Lily back to their shared room and immediately begins running his hands over her body. “Asmodeus!” she squeaks in alarm, attempting to move away from him.    
  
“Oh don’t be scared darling!” Asmodeus laughs, following after her. “I’m just trying to decide where to put my mark.” Lily finds herself second guessing her decisions here for a moment. But she was in too deep, why stop now? Besides, she’ll be more protected from Asmodeus’ wandering hands once she has a pact with him. She needs to be brave and do this. 

“Hmmm. You keep all your desires hidden away from me.” Asmodeus’ pouts. “So I want to be closest to where you keep them locked away.” He tells her this, while pulling her top off. Lily stands there before him, in just a bra, her cheeks are red. 

Unlike his brother’s who pricked their skin with their own teeth, Asmodeus draws a long ornately decorated needle, hidden in his clothes somewhere? Lily doesn’t really want to know. Using the long ornate needle his pricks his finger delicately. Then he traces his symbol over her heart while gazing deeply into her eyes. 

_**“I am Asmodeus, the Avatar of Lust. With my blood I pledge my service, let no being, mighty or small, sunder this unbreakable bond. Let the denizens of darkness witness my oath and make it so.”** _

His symbol flares, glowing pink before sinking into her flesh and disappearing from view. As the pact attaches to her soul, Lily feels dizzy for a moment and stumbles forward. Asmodeus catches her in his arms, a low moan of pleasure escapes his lips. “Oh my sweet little Lily flower.” He gasps.   
  
Lily isn’t sure of the why, but one thing is certain at this point. Each time she makes a pact she feels it stronger than the one before and she feels her other pacts strengthening as well. She wonders if it’s because of their bond as brothers? Would it be the same if she made a pact with a demon outside of their brotherhood?

“Shall we get to know each other better my little flower?” Asmodeus coos and Lily realizes he’s maneuvered her on to her bed. Just several minutes ago she was counting on their pact so she could order him away from her but now she feels like she’s been wrapped up in a cocoon of warmth. As absurd as it sounds, she feels like she can trust him. Plus, she’s so tired. Maybe it would be alright if she just closed her eyes.  
  
  
Lily is half asleep on her bed, in her jeans and bra when she wakes up to Asmodeus pulling off her pants. Before she can protest he’s pulling one of her silky nightgowns over her head. “You’re looking a bit wilted, little flower. Let Asmo take care of you now.” He tells her. Then he proceeds to push her into the bathroom where he makes her properly remove her makeup from the dance and wash her face before he applies a series of beauty serums and lotions to her face before whisking her back into bed.

When Simeon returns to their room, Asmodeus is leaning against Lily’s headboard with Lily sitting between his legs as she rests against his chest. His head leans over her shoulder as he holds one of her arms as if it’s a rare and exotic specimen to be examined. It doesn’t take long for him to find the tattoo from her deal with Lucifugus. 

“Someone’s been keeping secrets!” Asmodeus gasps, running his finger across the band on her wrist. Lily flushes and is about to speak when he interrupts her. “We’ll talk about that later darling, right now it’s our time together.” He tells her, rubbing her arms soothingly and Lily finds herself relaxed and half asleep again. 

“Interesting… Lily, you know that your ring finger is longer than your index finger, right? Hmm, Oh, and I loooove the shape of the nail of your thumb. So cute!” He smooths his own thumb over her nail. Simeon is watching them, looking amused. Lily is half asleep, not really paying attention. Asmodeus smooths some hair away from her face so he can see her better, tucking it behind her ear. “Seems to me that your ears are a wee bit on the small side, maybe? Come here, let me see your teeth.” Lily’s eyes fly open, awake again as Asmodeus suddenly flips their positions. He’s on top of her now, cradling her face in his hands. “Go on, open your mouth...Let’s hear you say aaah.” Lily’s face flushes and she tries to cover her face in embarrassment. Really, this is too much. She should probably do something about it. “Hehe. Come on, there’s no need to be shy.” Asmodeus coaxes her, pushing her hands away. She yawns widely and unintentionally, giving him the view of her teeth that he wanted. 

“You’ve certainly taken quite a liking to Lily, haven’t you?” Simeon chuckles at the two of them. He’s ready to help if Asmodeus takes things too far but for now they seem to be fine. 

Asmodeus flips his hair, looking offended by Simeon’s question. “Well of course I have. Otherwise I never would’ve made a pact, would I?”

“Still, who would’ve thought that Lily kept such powerful magic hidden within…Where had it been hiding all this time, I wonder?” Simeon seems to be thinking aloud. Lily is wondering the same thing, but it’s a problem to solve another day. Right now she just wants to sleep. Asmodeus has rolled off of her and she takes advantage of this and gets under her covers, practically pulling the covers up over her head.    
  
“That’s what I intend to find out.” Asmodeus tells Simeon before turning his attention back to Lily. He pulls the covers down until he’s looking into her eyes again. “We’re going to discover where it’s hiding. I’m going to take it nice and slow, and be very thorough…’kay?” He just smiles cheekily at her wide eyes and flushed cheeks. “ Ooh, Lily! Is it okay if I sleep together with you in your bed tonight? You don’t mind, do you? Of course you don't!” He tells her, already under the covers with her.    
  


“OH NO YOU DON’T!” Mammon’s voice booms into the room as he throws their door open. “Asmo! What’re you doin’ in THAT bed?! And why do you have your arm around Lily’s shoulders, huh?! You’re too close! Get away! Get away right now! Far enough away that I can’t see you! Go!” As he shouts he’s pulled the covers away and climbed onto the bed, trying to intimidate Asmodeus into leaving.   
  
Asmodeus ignores Mammon and holds her tighter. “So, Lily, when you wash yourself, where do you like to start? Because I like to start with my --”

“Hey! So you’re just gonna ignore me. Are ya?!” Mammon explodes, cutting off whatever Asmodeus was about to say next. “Also, I SAID you’re too close! Don’t get near Lily! And NO touchin’ I won’t allow it!” He’s trying to pry Asmo’s arms off her without hurting her in the process.    
  


“Wow it’s loud in here. What’s all the commotion?” Lily peeks through Mammon and Asmo’s limbs to see Satan, Levi, Luke and Beel all crowd into the room. If she wasn’t so exhausted she’d do something about this. She just can’t seem to muster enough energy to care that much though.    
  
“Lily, Asmo and Mammon are all in bed together, tangled up in each other and stuff. It’s hard not to fantasize about where this might be heading..” Leviathan gulps, his cheeks turning red but he doesn’t look away.    
  
“Fantasize? Ooh, what sort of fantasy are we talking about? Like knights and wizards and stuff?” Luke asks.   
  
“Are they eating anything good in this fantasy?” Beel wants to know. Satan snorts and rolls his eyes. 

Simeon let’s out a sigh. “Looks like it’s going to be another night full of drama.” While he says this, there’s no mistaking a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. He’s clearly enjoying the drama.


	44. Pillows and Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pillow Fights and cooking with Solomon

  
“Asmo, you bastard!” Mammon is getting even louder, as impossible as that seems. “Quit snugglin’ up against Lily! Go away, you moron!” Lily can feel so many emotions buzzing through her pact, lingering somewhere in the background but her tiredness seems to dull her senses. She’s a little surprised that Mammon and Asmo haven’t accidentally hurt her between them, she wonders if she plays dead, if they’ll leave her alone? It’s worth a try as she relaxes her muscles and closes her eyes. Maybe she can even fall asleep, she’s so exhausted that even Mammon’s loud mouth seems further away. 

“Excuse me? It’s none of your business who I snuggle up to or get lovey dovey with, now is it? And your constant yelling about it is annoying, to be honest.” Asmodeus is reaching his limit with Mammon’s interference. This is his time to savor, he hasn’t made a pact since Solomon. This is a rare and special moment! Mammon is ruining it as usual!

“I’ll be as annoyin’ as I have to be..whatever it takes to get you off of Lily! Get away get away get away GET AWAY!” Mammon shouts as obnoxiously as he possibly can.    
  
“Uh, you never shut up, do you?” Asmodeus seethes as he finally releases Lily and stands up. He’s never going to get any quality time with his little flower until he can get rid of this moron anyway. Where was Lucifer when you really needed him? He wonders. “ Anyway, why should I listen to you? Who made you boss? Honestly, it doesn’t even make sense.”   
  
“‘Cause I was the FIRST one Lily made a pact with. You’re the fourth demon -- the FOURTH! And that makes me Lily’s first man! So of course you should keep your hands to yourself when I’m around, out of respect!” Mammon lays down the facts for Asmodeus. His brother’s never have any respect for him but he’ll be damned if he’s going to let them sweep in and claim his human for their own.    
  
“Excuse me...what?” Asmodeus chuckles, a fake mocking sound. “Did you seriously just call yourself first man? Are you TRYING to make me laugh?” He scoffs. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter who was first. If Lily didn’t like snuggling with me, then it would be different. But otherwise, what gives you the right to boss me around?” Asmodeus demands to know.    
  
“Lily, don’t be shy! Let him have it! Tell this numbskull that he’s too close and he needs to back off!” Mammon tells Lily loudly, shaking her shoulder.    
  
Asmodeus slaps his hand, “She’s trying to sleep you idiot!” Mammon finally notices how exhausted Lily looks and flushes, he’d been so bent out of shape over Asmo that he hadn’t noticed. Now he’s even more mad at Asmo for making him feel foolish. “You don’t know what you’re talking about anyway.” Asmodeus continues to say. “Naturally, Lily is happy to have someone as beautiful as me by her side.” He finishes confidently. 

Lily of course doesn’t respond to any of this, still playing possum and just praying she’ll fall asleep despite it all. She feels Asmo’s fingers gently brush her hair. 

“Poor dear, I’ll just wait until later, when we’re alone. Then we can do lots of snuggling, okay?” Asmo coos softly.   
  
“I’m never leavin’ you two alone...NEVEEEER!” Mammon declares hotly. 

  
“What do we have here…?” Levi says with a bored tone, looking up from his phone. “Two idiots fighting over a normie? Pff, they can both keel over and die for all I care.” He scoffs. They’re so annoying. Why would Lily care about either of them anyway. She’s his best friend first and foremost. Mammon wouldn’t even be her first if it hadn’t been for him. She better not let Asmo’s good looks and charm steal all her attention away. He thinks these things to himself.  _ Ugh. It’s not fair!  _   
  
“What about you, Beel?” Luke asks curiously, keeping a wary eye on Lily. He’s not going to let those foolish demons hurt her on his watch! “ I notice you aren’t getting involved. But you’re in a pact with Lily too, right?”   
  
Beelzebub shrugs, holding his stomach. “Too hungry right now..Don’t feel like it.” He says, morose. That cheesecake was good but wasn’t enough to make up for all the running he had to do in the Labyrinth. He’s still thinking about grilled snake.   
  


“ASMO…! YOU ROTTEN BASTARD…!” Mammon’s screaming catches everyone’s attention again, as he grabs one of the extra pillows from Lily’s bed before launching it as his brother.   
  
“Hey..! You just threw that pillow at my FACE, didn’t you? AAAAAH I can’t take this anymore! I wish you’d just disappear! You can go burn in the fires of hell for all I care! If I could snap my fingers and send you there right now, I’d do it!” Asmodeus finally has raised his own voice to match Mammon’s as he throws the pillow back at Mammon. Luke blinks, he swears he just saw Asmodeus stop his foot like a child.    
  
Simeon lets out another sigh. “Things are only going to escalate if nobody stops them.” Making no move to do so himself.    
  
“Then why don’t you stop them, Simeon?” Solomon asks with a smirk. He’s been keeping a careful eye on Lily to make sure she wasn’t going to get trampled beneath Mammon and Asmodeus. Good thing he could command Asmo at a drop of a hat if needed.    
  
Simeon matches Solomon’s smirk, “Hmmm..I think I might wait a little longer and see how things go before stepping in.”   
  
“That’s it! You shut that big fat mouth of yours RIGHT NOW, you [CENSORED]” Mammon shouts and everyone else is covering their ears. It seems that Lucifer’s censorship hex is still in effect.    
  
“Oh yeah? Well, you’re money grubbing trash! A scumbag who’d sell his soul for a Grimm! The only thing that might make up for your awful existence is if you just [CENSORED] it! Now!” Asmodeus is wailing on Mammon with the pillow now. At least everyone has moved away from Lily’s bed now and she’s beginning to fade into sleep despite the chaos.    
  
“HEY, that’s no way to be talkin’ to your older brother, now is it?! You’d best start showin’ me some respect!” Mammon growls back, ripping the pillow from Asmodeus hands. Really, it’s a miracle that they didn’t tear the pillow in half.    
  
“Respect?! What did YOU ever do to earn my respect?!” Asmodeus laughs like someone who’s lost their mind. “ I’m EMBARRASSED to have someone like you for an older brother! Mortified, even!”   
  
“All right, you two, that’s enough. Stop throwing pillows at each other. You’re sending dust flying everywhere.” Satan finally tries to intervene, annoyed with them. He’d like to get back to his book but he’d never be able to read with this noise.    
  
“It’s no use, they won’t listen. T’s like they can’t even hear us.” Leviathan says with a shrug. 

“[CENSORED] And...and also, you’re a...um, a [CENSORED].”   
  
“Maybe it’s time you learned some new words, Mammon, because your vocabulary range is pathetically small! Just what I’d expect from the stupidest demon in the Devildom! You really set the bar for what stupid can be!” Asmodeus retorts flinging the pillow back at Mammon.    
  
“WHAT?! SAY THAT AGAIN! I DARE YA!”   
  
Satan’s temper is rising as Mammon and Asmo’s volume rises. “Hey, I told you, stop throwing pillows at- Mphuh!” Everyone stops when Satan is pegged in the face with a pillow that Asmodeus nimbly dodges.    
  
Mammon laughs nervously. “Ooh, um...whoops...Didn’t mean to hit ya with that.”   
  
Satan doesn’t say anything for a moment as his scowl contorts even further. “… THAT’S IT! I’M GONNA KILL BOTH OF YOU!”   
  
Simeon exchanges a look with Solomon. Should they interfere now?

  
Leviathan laughs as Satan begins pelting Mammon and Asmodeus with pillows. Throwing them harder than necessary. “Pff...loool Satan’s got serious anger issues. LMAO”   
  
Until one of Satan’s pillows hits Simeon in the gut. “HEY, Satan! What do you think you’re doing throwing a pillow at Simeon!” Luke shouts in outrage. “Take THIS! SUPER CELESTIAL SHOOTING PILLOOOOOW!” He cries, joining in and trying to defend Simeon.   
  
Beelzebub is watching the pillows flying by with a dreamy look on his face. “Look at the huge marshmallows flying through the air...They look so yummy...Mmm…”   
  
“Wh...Beel?! Could you maybe not try to take a bite out of my pillow, please?!” Asmodeus complains when he sees Beel slobbering on one of his pillows.   
  
Mammon chucks a pillow Solomon’s way, which is easily deflected with a shield of some sort. “Solomon! You son of a...you think you’re SO GREAT just ‘cause you’re a human like Lily!” Mammon complains out of nowhere. He’s not stupid though, he’s noticed the way Solomon hangs around and keeps his creepy eyes on his human.    
  
Solomon chuckles, floating a pillow mid air. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I take it you’re trying to start a fight with me, Mammon?” He inquires, seemingly amused by the notion.   
  


  
“Just WHAT do all of you think you’re DOING?!” Lucifer’s voice booms into the room. Some of them freeze in their place, others are still too wrapped up in their fight to notice. Lily twitches in her sleep but doesn’t wake fully.   
  
“That’s a good question, yes. Really, I have to say, I’m disappointed.” Diavolo nods sadly, next to Lucifer.   
  
Lucifer looks at the Prince with a serious expression. “Diavolo, I promise you that I’m going to have a good long talk with them, and ensure that -”   
  
But before Lucifer can finish, Diavolo interrupts him, a huge smile erupting on his face. “I mean, a pillow fight? ...How could you do something fun like that and yet not think to invite us?”   
  
Lucifer’s expression turns to shock before he quickly adopts a more stoic expression. “What?”

“It’s a pillow fight, Lucifer! A  **pillow fight** …!  **This** is what overnight retreats are all about. I mean, it’s straight out of the book  _ Youthful Fun 101 _ !” Diavolo announces with childlike glee.   
  
Lucifer pinches his nose, sighing. Isn’t it enough that he has to deal with his idiot brothers? “...No, I’m sorry.” He says, shaking his head. “Starry-eyed nostalgia is all well and good, but I won’t stand for this.” Meanwhile Mammon and Asmo are still going at it, paying Lucifer and Diavolo no mind. 

“You’re lettin’ your guard down, Asmo! TAKE THIS!” Mammon hurls a pillow extra hard but Asmodeus dodges just in time.    
  
“Mmphuh.” Mammon scores a direct hit on Lord Diavolo’s face. The pillow falls to the floor revealing a shocked looking Lord Diavolo.    
  


“Uh-oh!” Mammon’s eyes go wide. Not because of Diavolo’s reaction but because of Lucifer.   
  
“Mammon scored a [CENSORED] on Lord Diavolo! Lololol He just pulled some SERIOUS aggro from Lucifer now! Looool” Leviathan laughs and types away on his D.D.D.   
  
Lucifer has picked up the pillow that struck Lord Diavolo with a deadly calm look on his face. “...Anyone who dares throw a pillow at Diavolo must..DIE!” He declares, hurtling the pillow straight towards Mammon.   
  
“GUH-HRGH..!” Mammon is too shocked to move and takes a direct hit to the head.    
  
“Ahahaha! Lucifer totally hit you square in the face with that pillow, Mammon! Serves you right!” Asmodeus laughs.   
  
Satan shakes his head, this situation has just taken a turn for the worse as far as he’s concerned. “HE can’t hear you, Asmo. He’s out cold.”   
  
Solomon maneuvers easily through the room and sits on Lily’s bed. “Wow, it’s as if he really did intend to kill Mammon. That’s how hard he threw that pillow. I mean, I’ve never seen a pillow fly through the air so fast that it was on fire.” He chuckles.    
  
Luke looks amazed. “That was incredible...Are Devildom pillows made to function as weapons too…?!” He wonders.   
  
“No, I’m pretty sure they’re just normal pillows like you’d find anywhere else.” Simeon tells him with a shake of his head.    
  


“All right, any of you who are brave enough to take a pillow to the face, step forward!” Lucifer tells them all with a sadistic grin.    
  
“Lucifer, I’ll help you reload! Tossing more pillows your way!” Diavolo says as he seemingly conjures more pillows than were ever in the room to begin with. Looking like a child in a candy shop.   
  
“Got it, Diavolo! Just leave the rest to me!” Lucifer replies, easily catching the pillow that Diavolo tosses his way.   
  
“AAAAAH! D-Don’t aim for my face! Please, not that!” Asmodeus cries, lunging to find cover somewhere. Narrowly avoiding the pillow that missiles his way.    
  
“Th-that pillow he just threw made a hole in the bed...a hole…!” Beelzebub states in alarm, staring at the smoking hole left in Asmodeus’ bed.    
  
“I have to say, Lucifer and Diavolo do make quite a team..They work in such perfect coordination.” Solomon comments, subtly casting a shielding spell around Lily’s sleeping form.    
  
“Is this really the time to be standing around admiring them, Solomon?!” Asmo shrieks, peeking at him from the side of his bed.    
  
Diavolo laughs heartily as he tosses more pillows to Lucifer, he’s clearly enjoying himself. Lucifer continues to pelt his brothers with fiery pillows of destruction.    
  
Leviathan is on the sidelines, typing away. “Beelzebub and Satan are down now. Lololol Lucifer is racking up the kills. ...Sent!” The next thing that happens is Leviathan is knocked out cold and Lucifer confiscates his phone. He knows he has a lot of Devilgram posts to delete tonight.   
  
“I don’t know if I’d call this a pillow fight, it’s more like a game of Frantically Dodge the Flaming Balls of Death Flying Past.” Solomon chuckles, easily repelling any projectiles that come too close to himself or Lily who’s still managed to say asleep.    
  
“Well then! Looks like it’s my turn now! Get ready…!” Simeon smiles radiantly, catching one of Lucifer’s flaming pillows in his hands and readies himself to chuck it back. Luke looks super impressed and for the first time Diavolo and Lucifer look like they may have to take cover themselves.”Do your worst.” Lucifer taunts Simeon who merely chuckles in response his smile is as bright as ever and even the pillow seems to sparkle with celestial light as the flames are doused.   
  


Later that same night, long after the pillow fight had drawn to a close with all of Lucifer’s brother’s rendered unconscious and a slightly traumatized Luke. Lord Diavolo finds Lucifer out by the garden pond, sighing to himself, his face tight with worry. Diavolo approaches Lucifer, with a slight chuckle escaping his lips. 

“What? IS there something amusing about hearing me sigh?” Lucifer turns to Diavolo with a sour expression.    
  
“Not at all. I was a little surprised to see that you still have a fun-loving side to you. Enough to enjoy a good pillow fight, at least.”    
  
Lucifer’s frown deepens, “I’ll have you know that I didn’t enjoy it. I was punishing them for what they did.” He answers with a tone of disdain.    
  
“Are you sure about that? Because it seemed like you were enjoying it quite a bit to me.” Diavolo can’t help himself.    
  
“If I’d enjoyed it, I wouldn’t be sighing right now, would I?” Lucifer answers in contempt, turning away to stare out over the pond once more.    
  
“Tell me then, what’s the real reason you sighed just now?” Diavolo urges him but is only met with Lucifer’s silence. “It’s just you and me now. Everyone else was completely worn out from that frenzied battle. They’re all fast asleep at this point. Come on, you can tell me, right? What’s the harm?”   
  
“As if you even need to ask.” Lucifer finally answers him with much irritation. “You already know the answer, and you’ve known for a good long time now.”   
  
“So..it’s about Lily, is it?” Diavolo hums.    
  
“Yes. Asmo is already the fourth of my brothers to make a pact with Lily.”   
  
“I see.” Diavolo hums. “You’ve spent so long watching over and caring for them, and now that it seems like they’re all grown up and don’t need you anymore. You’re starting to panic!” he guesses at the source of Lucifer’s discomfort.    
  
Lucifer pins Diavolo with a glare. Panic? The Avatar of Pride NEVER panics.    
“You seem to find this awfully amusing, Diavolo.”   
  
“Yes. I can’t help it, seeing how genuinely troubled you seem to be over this.” Diavolo chuckles, patting Lucifer on the back. “Come on, this is a good thing, right? Demons and a human, putting aside their differences and forming a bond? It’s exactly what I’ve been hoping would happen. Can’t you be happy for them, Lucifer?”   
  
Lucifer has to hold most of his feelings on the subject to himself. Humans will always be beneath him, he certainly doesn’t want to bond with one. He thinks about what Lily said to him during the dance. Friends? The notion makes him ill. “ ...No, this is one case where I can’t simply put aside my concerns and be happy.” He finally answers, sighing once more. “...Honestly, of all the humans to choose as an exchange student, why did you have to pick THAT human?”   
  
“There’s that sigh again.” Diavolo chuckles, choosing not to remind Lucifer in that moment that Lucifer was the one who chose THAT human.    
  
“Given the situation, I can’t help it.”   
  


Meanwhile in another part of the garden Barbatos interrupts an eavesdropper hiding in the bushes. “It’s bad form to eavesdrop on others, you know?” The steward announces, surprising the demon in hiding. “I certainly can’t say I approve, Satan.”   
  
Satan narrows his eyes at the steward, quickly over his surprise. “...Well, what about you? What are you doing here, Barbatos?” He deflects.   
  
“It’s my job to stay close to Lord Diavolo, so that I may better serve him.” Barbatos says simply.    
  
“Then I’m guessing you heard what they said, too?” Satan says, not wanting to play games with Barbatos. A game he suspects he’d easily lose.    
  
“Yes. I heard the same thing you did.”   
  
Satan hums in thought. “ Well, what do you think about Lily being chosen for the exchange program? An average human suddenly dropped down into the Devildom, and yet manages to make pacts with four demons in almost no time at all. I mean, no one should be that good. 

And we’re not talking about any old lower-tier demons here. Every one of them are student council officers, Avatars, brothers... Was it really just an accident that Lily was selected for the exchange program, or could it be that - ?”   
  
Barbatos interrupts Satan’s speculations. “Hmmm...who knows? The only thing I can say is this. Even if this wasn’t part of Lord Diavolo’s plan, perhaps this wasn’t an accident but an inevitability?” He answers vaguely and somewhat mysteriously.   
  
Satan narrows his eyes, “What’s that supposed to -”   
  
“Tomorrow is the last day of the retreat. I recommend you go ahead and get to bed, Satan.” Barbatos says, interrupting him once more before walking away, letting Satan know that the conversation is closed.    
  
Satan rubs his chin, watching Barbatos leave. _ An inevitability? Of what??  _ He wonders to himself. There’s mystery here and that equally annoys and intrigues him. A human shouldn’t be able to catch his interest this way. Yet he finds himself further pulled into her web. He makes his way back to his room, thinking about how frustrating it is that Barbatos is always one step ahead of everyone else.

  
  
In the morning Lily blinks her eyes awake slowly,  _ Did someone just call my name?  _ She wonders sleepily. “Lily.” The voice sounds again, it sounds like Barbatos. Her body feels unusually warm, in fact something is squeezing her around the waist. Opening her eyes a cascade of champagne locks fill her vision. She feels a soft breath against her collar bone. Realization suddenly dawns on her that Asmodeus is wrapped around her. Barbatos’ face looms above her. His eyes look down at her with wry amusement. “Lily, I came to collect you so we can make brunch for everyone.” He tells her. “Might you need help extracting yourself?” He questions her with a tilt of his head. 

Lily’s face flushes. How embarrassing! She shakes her head no and manages to wriggle out of Asmodeus’ grasp. He pouts and rolls over in his sleep, muttering something about it being too early and needing his beauty sleep before falling back asleep. Her eyes widen as she looks around the bedroom. It looks like a bomb went off inside! She wonders what happened after she went to sleep and how she managed to sleep through such destruction, or survive for that matter.. From the looks of the singed blankets and gaping hole in Asmodeus’ bed she can’t really blame him for sleeping in hers.

“Ah yes, they did get a bit carried away last night didn’t they?” Barbatos chuckles, noticing Lily’s surprise. “Still, it was nice to see the young master in such high spirits.”

  
Lily quickly makes her way to the bathroom where she cleans up and dresses for the day, following Barbatos to the Castle kitchens. Solomon is already there and greets them both as they arrive. Lily is looking around, the Castle kitchens are huge! She supposes she should have expected that. What she didn’t expect was a state of the art kitchen. It’s very different from the old fashion kitchen in the House of Lamentation that she’s struggled to get used to. Lily is thankful that Barbatos had some ideas on what to make since thanks to Mammon’s forgetfulness she had no time to prepare. Solomon had his own ideas on what he wanted to make. Lily thought she’d be alone in this, so she was really grateful for Solomon’s company and Barbatos’ guidance. 

“How are you feeling Lily? I couldn’t believe you slept through all that chaos last night.” Solomon tells her, eyes sparkling. 

“I’m a little worn out.” She shrugs. “What DID happen anyway?” she asks as she accepts an apron from Barbatos and washes her hands after tying back her hair. 

As they prep ingredients for their dishes, Solomon tells her all about the pillow fight. “I sat this one out.” He informs her. “Someone had to make sure sleeping beauty didn’t get obliterated by a stray pillow.” He teases her. Lily’s eyes are wide trying to imagine it. 

“I suppose I should thank you…” Lily finally tells him hesitantly. “I’m still not okay with having spells cast on me without consent mind you,” she lets him know. “But your magic really saved us and you didn’t have to watch over me last night…” Blushing, she turns her attention back to her ingredients. 

“Not at all, it’s the least I could do..” He responds with a smirk that she doesn’t see. She notices he offers no apologies either. “I was curious what you’d do with my magic but I can’t say I expected you to forge another pact, with Asmodeus no less!” He chuckles. “You continue to surprise me.”

Lily wonders at his tone. He’s so hard to read, she can’t tell if he’s only intrigued or if there’s a hint of jealousy or resentment in there too. She shakes it off. His feelings are his own. It’s not her business to decipher them after all. 

“I didn’t expect it either, to be honest.” She confides. All the while, Barbatos is the silent observer in the kitchen as he efficiently helps each of them with their tasks while making his own dishes as well.

“You’ll have your hands full with Asmo.” Solomon tells her with a wink. “If you ever need advice on how to wrangle your demons I’m only a dormitory away.” This earns him a snort of amusement from Barbatos but Lily decides not to ask.

  
“What are you making anyway?” She asks, changing the subject. 

“Oh I’m making my Motzoh ball soup and another recipe that I came up with myself a century or so ago…”

Lily offers him a smile, “Well if it’s anything like your chicken noodle soup, it’ll be delicious!”

They continue this way through the morning, cooking and making small talk. They have plenty of time to get all their dishes done since everyone decides to sleep in. In fact, Barbatos had to freeze time on the food to keep it warm while they waited. 

When she finds herself alone with Barbatos for a moment she decides to ask the question that’s been on her mind the whole time. She inquires about the bank account. “I’m sorry Lily. As I told Lucifer I have no recollection of this event. Which can only mean it hasn’t happened in our timeline yet.” He informs her gently. “I have a feeling we will both know the truth of it at the same time as each other.” Lily isn’t quite sure what he means and she feels a bit disappointed that she’s hit another dead end. 

  
  
Eventually, one by one, several tired looking demons make their way to the dining hall. Lily is really proud of her dishes, they look a little homespun next to Solomon’s dishes that look like they belong on a food blog. Lily tries not to be discouraged though, she taste tested everything she made and it’s some of the best food she’s prepared. She gives all the credit to Barbatos’ assistance prepping and the Castles’ amazing kitchen.

“I guess no one got enough sleep last night, did they?” Simeon points out the obvious, even the angel is sporting some bags under his eyes this morning. Lily thinks it’s a little unfair how attractive everyone still looks despite their lack of sleep.    
  
“Well, that pillow fight did keep going until nearly dawn.” Solomon comments as he sets a dish out on the table.   
  
“Beel looks the same as usual. Last night he claimed he was so hungry that he couldn’t move, but he ended up getting caught up in it anyway.” Luke chimes in.    
  
“I’m okay, personally. Lack of sleep is nothing compared to being hungry. Hunger is the worst.” Beelzebub says, rubbing his stomach and eyeing the food being laid out. 

Asmodeus sighs dramatically, “Look what you did, Mammon! I didn’t get enough sleep, and now my skin is in terrible shape today!” He complains.    
  
“How’s that MY fault?! You’re the one who wouldn’t get your hands off of Lily to begin with!” Mammon counters loudly. Lily looks at them both with a frown, are they really going to start in again first thing?   
  
“Pff, you’re such an idiot that even when you get jealous it’s about something stupid! I mean, if you want to get lovey-dovey with Lily, then why don’t you just do it? No one is stopping you!

Really, you’re making yourself look like a total fool. Actually, scratch that, you are a total fool.” Asmodeus declares vehemently.    
  
Mammon flushes red, “Wh..hey! C-C’mon, as if I’d ever get lovey-dovey with a human! The odor would rub off on me and then I’d smell like human!” He protests, not convincing anyone of his sincerity.    
  
“Um, I notice you didn’t deny the part about being a fool…” Luke points out.   
  


“Good morning, everyone. Oh, I’m sorry. I suppose it’s not correct to say good morning. Considering it’s past noon already.” Barbatos greets everyone as he brings out the rest of the food they prepared that morning on a cart.    
  
“Is that sarcasm I hear?” Satan remarks dryly. “ ...Anyway, where’s Lord Diavolo? I haven’t seen him yet this morning.”   
  
“He’s still in bed. He and Lucifer stayed up talking well after the rest of you went to sleep, you see.” Barbatos says, giving Satan a look that says not to mention last night.    
  
“Can we get to the part where we eat now? I’m hungry..” Beelzebub asks eagerly as his stomach rumbles.    
  
“Ah, yes, pardon me. Brunch is ready and waiting.” Barbatos says, laying the last dish on the table.   
  
“We were supposed to have food from the human world on the last day of the retreat, right?” Simeon confirms, looking at all the different dishes laid out.    
  
“Wait, don’t tell me that this means..” Asmodeus starts to speak, looking a little pale.    
  
“Yep, you guessed it.” Solomon interrupts, smiling. “It means I did some of the cooking as well.”   
  
“Indeed, Lily was in charge of making today’s human world fare, and Solomon helped out.” Barbatos tells them.    
  
“Hmph, So, there’s stuff Lily cooked, huh?” Mammon comments, inspecting each dish a little closer now. “Well, I’m hungry enough that I guess I could tolerate eating some of it.”   
  
Luke rolls his eyes, “Why not be honest and say you’re looking forward to trying it? Ugh, this is why I can’t stand demons.” He says, glaring at Mammon.   
  
“Mm, this is great. I’m ready for seconds.” Beelzebub announces, cleaning the last morsel from his plate.    
  
Luke looks at him in shock. “Wait, you’re already started eating?!” Everyone takes this as their cue to dish up their plates before Beelzebub eats everything.

Lily dishes up a small amount of everything for herself. It’s not everyday she gets to enjoy human food anymore. There’s a thought she never thought she’d be having! Simeon and Satan are having a discussion about how human world food compares to both Devildom and Celestial fare. Some of the others are being more cautious with their selections. 

“So, which of these dishes did you make, Solomon?” Asmodeus asks as he looks worriedly over the dishes.    
Solomon smiles and points to his main dish. “This one here. Oh, and what you see on that plate there, too.”   
  
Asmodeus looks somewhat relieved, “So Lily and Barbatos made everything else then?” He clarifies. Lily and Barbatos confirm this and his shoulders sag with relief. Further down the table Leviathan is going on and on about the sushi rolls that Barbatos prepared. Compared to ones he’s seen in one of his favorite animes. Another with a preposterously long title.    
  
Mammon is cautiously biting into Lily’s lasagna, “H-Huh...So Lily made this one? I-I guess it’s all right..”   
  
“Oh, it’s only all right, huh? Although you are only eating dishes Lily made?” Asmodeus points out with a scoff while Luke starts scolding Beel for eating his plate along with his food. 

Asmodeus turns to Lily, with a fork full of fruit salad that Barbatos prepared. “Ooh, this is really good too, Lily. Here, try some off of my fork. Go on, open your mouth and say aaah…” Lily blushes but allows Asmodeus to stick the fork into her mouth anyway. “Hehe, you’re so cute. So, what do you think? It’s good, isn’t it?”    
  
Mammon slams his food down, how is he supposed to enjoy Lily’s cooking this way?! “HEY, ASMO! What’s the big idea gettin’ all cutesy and flirty like that when you’re sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME huh!? Do it when I’m not around! Actually, don’t do it when I’m NOT around, either! In fact, don’t do it at all! ...ever!” This time Asmo ignores Mammon and tries to feed Lily another bite but this time she refuses. She doesn’t want them starting in again. 

  
Satan sighs, pinching his nose in a very Lucifer like manner. “Oh, what I would do to not have to listen to Mammon…” Then he looks to Asmodeus who’s been avoiding a certain dish of food. “Asmo, aren’t you going to try any of that dish there?”

Asmodeus looks at Satan in alarm, “That? Well, Solomon’s the one who made that, after all..” He pouts.

“Nobody likes a picky eater.” Beelzebub says around a mouthful of food, this is his what? Third or forth helping? No one really knows.    
  
Asmodeus gives Beelzebub a smark look, really? Do none of them remember how sick he was the last time he ate Solomon’s cooking?! “Okay then, you go ahead and eat all you like, Beel. Be my guest.” He says smugly.    
  
“Yeah. No need to hold back. Eat as much as you like!” Solomon encourages. Beelzebub however is way ahead of them, already slurping up a large portion of the soup. Suddenly he freezes, his face looks surprised as he drops his spoon. Which Lily now realizes was the soup ladle.    
  
“That’s odd. Beelzebub froze. The food must be so good that he’s in shock right now.” Simeon says as they all observe Beel’s strange behavior. Everyone begins to serve themselves the soup after Barbatos provides them with a new ladle.    
  
“Solomons cooking looks so good that I wanted to upload pictures to social media but Lucifer took my phone! It’s not fair!” Leviathan laments before spooning up some soup. “Mmm, I can’t wait to try this! It’s going to be SO epic!...All right, food! Your end is nigh! Prepare to be consumed!” Leviathan talks to himself. Just as suddenly he’s all struck dumb, his face in shock after trying Solomon’s soup. He should have known better! But it looked so good!  _ Curse you Solomon!  _ He thinks to himself.    
  
“Okay. I guess I’ll try some too…” Luke says, digging in. One by one everyone tries Solomon’s soup and falls under the same dumbstruck spell as Beelzebub.    
  
Mammon coughs and gags dramatically. “PFFFHAH...PFF! Wh-What’s goin’ on? It’s AWFUL, like needles are pokin’ at my tongue..and I’m choking..and my stomach’s on fire..! Th-This ain’t food..this is..somethin’ else altogether!” He gasps, chugging a glass of water. Asmodeus snickers, they should have remembered his warning that he gave them centuries ago.    
  
Satan frowns, after chugging his own glass of water. “ If I had to describe it. I’d guess it’s more like...a weapon of mass destruction?”   
  
“It’s firm, yet soft. Sweet, yet savory. The flavors are strong, yet bland, all at the same time. It’s impossible to describe the sensation in words. That’s how compex this..substance is.” Simeon tries to come to terms with it. Luke let’s out a sickly burp. He’s looking a little green. 

“Um...Luke..are you okay?” Asmodeus asks, if anyone is going to start vomiting he’s getting out of there fast!   
  
“Even Beel is sitting there paralyzed, and he can eat anything..” Satan comments in mild disbelief.    
  
“The food looks so good, though. It’s hard to believe that it can taste so bad, huh?” Asmodeus comments thoughtfully, wondering how Solomon does it.    
  
Solomon laughs, digging into his own food with gusto. “Now now, don’t compliment me too much, okay? You're going to embarrass me.” Everyone looks at him in shock, is he joking? Did he try to poison them on purpose? What vile schemes is he up to?!   
  
“Look at Solomon. He’s eatin’ it like nothing’s wrong..” Mammon says, still trying to get the awful taste out of his mouth.   
  
“Mmm, the flavor isn’t bad..Looks like my hard work paid off.” Solomon says still enjoying his food. Everyone else has lost their appetite.    
  
“I know. As bizarre as it is, Solomon seems to have no trouble at all eating his own cooking.” Asmodeus points out then offers Solomon another one of his foul dishes. “Solomon, this looks good too...Here, open wide and say aaahhh..” Like Lily, Solomon allows Asmodeus to feed him and thanks him too. Everyone is flabbergasted. 

  
Lily doesn’t understand what the fuss is about, the soup Solomon made her before was so good! She watched him cook, he didn’t do anything too weird that she noticed? Surely they are all exaggerating. She was looking forward to trying his cooking again. She reaches for her own bowl of soup, ready to take a bite when Mammon and Asmodeus both reach for it at the same time and knock over her bowl in the process. Lily looks at them both.  _ Did they do that on purpose?  _ She wonders.

“Solomons cooking is so insanely bad that it’s become the most memorable part of the whole retreat. Wow, Solomon...that’s epic! Loool” Leviathan has the final word even if he can’t post it on Devilgram.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this version of the Retreat! Wrapped it up with long chapter since I'm going to take a break from updating this story for at least a week, maybe two. In the meantime Cluelesse and I will be uploading the next part of our shared series with Lily and Leila. My goal is to also wrap up the Fatherhood series during this break. 
> 
> I'm writing in another gap between the retreat and the London trip. I have a few things planned, like more one on one scenes between Belphegor and Lily. However, if there's anything you want to suggest for the story I'd love to hear your ideas. Especially if they revolve around a specific chat or Devilgram that could fit in this part of the story. I love hearing everyone's theories and head cannons too. Thank you for reading and I'll see ya'll here in a week or two ;-)


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